Creating Impressions

Pam Nasr, creative and film director talks all things Gucci and her vision for her debut film, Clams Casino

- Natalie Westernoff

As a film director and creative what has led you to this point in your career?

My career is a reflection of my personal journey. It’s a culmination of my childhood experiences and memories, the cities I’ve lived in, my personal growth, and is the result of strictly and consistently doing what feels true to me. One of my earliest memories speaks volumes about why I’ve gotten here. I must have been seven years old at the time, my sister and I wanted to gift our parents a photo album for Valentine’s Day. We made sure they left the house before using our father’s camera, one roll of film, and our home as the set. I played the role of a man dressed in leather trousers, a black blazer, white shirt and black bow tie – all pieces from my closet, sported with slicked-back hair disguised in a low bun. My younger sister Sally was my date. She wore a white peplum dress with daisies, buckled ballerina flats with white scalloped socks and red lipstick. Our home felt like a perpetual set; we posed around the dining table, the salon and a curved laminated bar which was my favourite piece of furniture. Looking back, it was that moment where I discovered my enthusiasm for the arts.

What did you learn at the School of Visual Arts (SVA) in New York that aided you to find such a unique creative voice?

My time at SVA was super condensed, during the one year program. I learned about the entire process of filmmaking from scratch while writing the story for my first film. SVA gave me the space and tools to translate my visual creative identity and expression into a narrative motion picture. They made sure we only collaborated with filmmakers who truly understood the stories that we wanted to tell.

Your debut film, Clams Casino, is distinctively visual. How would you describe the aesthetics in the movie?