Frumusețe Murdară

A Fashion Film by Luke Raphael Grove
"My beauty would burn."

Frumusețe Murdară (translated: Dirty Beauty) is a stylised, introspective short film that explores the relationship between inherited trauma, feminine power, and transformation—told through the poetic lens of fashion cinema.

Directed, written, and shot by Luke Raphael Grove, this 3-minute proof-of-concept film merges narrative storytelling with high-fashion aesthetics. It centres on Doina, a Romanian fashion icon, as she prepares alone in a dressing room—smoking, applying makeup, and reflecting in silence. Accompanied by a reversed Romanian folk score and a visceral voiceover, Doina’s story unfolds as a meditation on beauty as both weapon and ritual.

Originally conceived as a confrontation between a woman and a powerful man, the story evolved during production into something quieter, more symbolic, yet equally potent. Through minimal dialogue, soft dissolves, close framing, and moody lighting, the film captures an emotional landscape where trauma becomes texture, and silence speaks louder than words.

Inspired by In the Mood for Love, Promising Young Woman, and the stylisation of Gordon von Steiner, this piece reflects Luke’s creative identity as an emerging fashion filmmaker—merging cinematic elegance with psychological complexity.

This project became not only a visual study of feminine resistance but also a personal milestone in Luke’s growth as a director, writer, and cinematographer. With early discussions already in place to expand the story into a feature, Frumusețe Murdară marks the beginning of a larger creative journey—one rooted in emotional truth, visual poetry, and the reclamation of narrative power through image.