How To Be a Model is a refreshing antidote to the conventional perception of the fashion industry as a world of unobtainable wealth and glamour. It doesn't let you in on the pros and cons of dating rock stars, but it does teach you the importance of carrying a map. The key appeal of the documentary is that it approaches modelling as a regular job rather than a form of celebrity. Filmmaker Allison Beda worked as a model before she made this, so she's well placed to demystify the profession and offer an insight into the lives of the thousands of women who model for a living without reaching the industry's social and economic heights.
The film is structured around the working life of Peggi LePage, a friend of the filmmaker's, in what we are told will be her last year as a model. Peggi proves an engaging subject, but matters take a dramatic turn half way into the film when she announces that she no longer wishes to participate. As a result, the film ends up tackling some unexpectedly big questions. What happens when art gets in the way of friendship? How do you know when it's right to give something up? And most pressingly, how do you finish a documentary without your principle subject?
The film is structured around the working life of Peggi LePage, a friend of the filmmaker's, in what we are told will be her last year as a model. Peggi proves an engaging subject, but matters take a dramatic turn half way into the film when she announces that she no longer wishes to participate. As a result, the film ends up tackling some unexpectedly big questions. What happens when art gets in the way of friendship? How do you know when it's right to give something up? And most pressingly, how do you finish a documentary without your principle subject?
