We weren’t supposed to see this documentary about Yves Saint Laurent.
Director Olivier Meyrou’s doc on the famed French fashion designer was filmed in the early 2000s, over the course of two and a half years, while Saint Laurent worked on his final collection. His longtime business partner (and former romantic partner) Pierre Bergé invited Meyrou to produce the doc, but when it premiered at the 2007 Berlin International Film Festival, Bergé was apparently shocked by what he saw.
Celebration depicts a rapidly aging Saint Laurent—a man so frail, he can hardly hold a cigarette to his lips. He is frequently rushed in and out of rooms, his image strictly controlled. Bergé knew Meyrou would capture this Saint Laurent—Bergé was there during the duration of the filming, and Saint Laurent was clearly becoming frailer as he aged. What Bergé didn’t know was that the documentary would end up being less about Saint Laurent and more about him.
