Documentary spotlights fashion maven Valentino

By Gregg Goldstein

PARK CITY, Utah (Hollywood Reporter) - The life of fashion designer Valentino is coming to the big screen in the documentary "Valentino: The Last Emperor."

Directed by Vanity Fair special correspondent Matt Tyrnauer, "Valentino" will chronicle the 45-year career of the Italian icon on the eve of his last haute couture show, set for Wednesday at the Rodin Museum in Paris. For his feature debut, Tyrnauer spent about two years shooting more than 250 hours of footage of the man and his entourage.

"We were let into the inner circle, but we had to stick it out for a long time -- practically move in -- to capture the truly great moments," Tyrnauer said. "Valentino is surrounded by a tight-knit family of friends and workers, but, eventually, their guard came down and they forgot there was a camera crew in the room."

The film will look beyond his work to explore Valentino's relationships, the way a maverick faces the end of a long career and the end of an era in fashion. It was inspired by Tyrnauer's Vanity Fair profile of the artist.

Shot in widescreen high-definition, the film is aiming for a May debut at Cannes.

Reuters/Hollywood Reporter