Giuliana Leila Raggiani and Hamadou Frédéric Baldé, met in LA in March 2016, and immediately began a collaboration. This merge of their two creative worlds, manifested in the form of a film series, called “NONNA” (the name of giu giu’s reproduction of her grandmother’s original turtleneck). Hamadou’s perspective possesses an inspirational contrast; a balance of being unfiltered and honest, yet sensitive and dream-like at the same time, meshing effortlessly with giu giu. With little planning, they serendipitously traveled to the same places -- Paris, Morocco, Los Angeles, New York, and Tokyo -- and shot in each location. And after much evolution, the film has now become an expression of movement between a multitude of ages, races, and genders. In each city Hamadou and Giuliana traveled to, they encountered beautiful, real people. Each with their own story, and special "essence," in the way they view life. Each belonging to the limitless world Hamadou and Giuliana envision, where each human is interconnected and perceived equally. The Nonna turtleneck became the common thread woven through each chapter of the film. The turtleneck was used to show the body, through natural forms of movement (krump, ballet, contemporary/modern, running, walking, dunking, yoga, and even subtle movements, such as the movement of water, a blink of an eye, or lifting a finger). The turtleneck is timeless, recycling itself in this generation. Each city represents a different color from the original Nonna collection. What they anticipated to be a short fashion video, grew to be something deeper and unexpectedly more profound, and their collaboration took on a life of its own. The duo has been presenting the full 20-minute piece at exclusive screenings in the various cities featured in the film. Otherwise, it is launching online as a series, each chapter releasing individually, with the première of the first city, PARIS. Ultimately, the main intention of Hamadou & giu giu is to use “Nonna” as a catalyst in promoting a universal concept of love, during a time when it is needed most in the world.
