Fashionable ladies of the lake

"Traveling to Hangzhou revealed that one of Chanel's Chinese lacquer screens was a huge map, a replica of the city, especially its most famous attraction — the West Lake area — with hundreds of little bridges and paths zigzagging a big body of water, a vast nature reserve full of wildlife and the richest variety of plants and trees," says the director.

"It is a real maze, and you can easily lose yourself in it and on it. I love maps and discovering landscapes, so I wrote a story about this enigmatic place and the secret link it has with Paris. I love treating cities and landscapes as active participants in a story. You may realize how many of my films carry their places in the titles. Places have great storytelling power. I tried to listen to Hangzhou and the West Lake for their input."

Swinton says Chinese lacquer screens serve as an ancient cinema screen of awe-inspiring detail and atmosphere.

"I think how the residents of the city take such active pride in their environment struck me particularly. When we went to shoot on the lake at 8 on Sunday morning, there were already many boats on the water, people looking not unlike their ancestors depicted in Chanel's Chinese lacquer screens, steering their craft in and out of the water lilies, underneath the willow trees."