Ferrari 1955
This early morning mist enveloping the Tuscan countryside offered the sense of place that I so craved in my Mille Miglia Ferrari series. It would be a challenge to think of a more apposite layer to complete this photograph. On mornings like these, visual splendour reaches an elevated level. It would have been memorable just to be there even if we had left our cameras at home. We had five mornings on set in Val d’Orcia and this was our only opportunity with the mist, which we took. Into this ethereal amphitheatre we brought the 1955 Ferrari 121LM that Piero Taruffi drove at the Mille Miglia in its first year. In the Mille Miglia he drove from Rome to Brescia at an average speed of 189 kph - a record that stands to this day. To further celebrate the Ferrari story, we thought we should add a prancing black stallion in the field. Some will inevitably think this unlikely addition is a product of AI, which is why we now always have a film crew on set taking BTS. The stallion, which came from Rome, will also happily testify to his key role. Ironically the best way to combat the AI barbs is to allow third party recording on set, not ban it. The danger of AI makes film sets even more collegiate. The origin of the iconic Ferrari stallion is well documented. In June 1923, Enzo Ferrari won a race at Ravenna where he met Countess Paolina, the mother of Francesco Baracca, an ace of the Italian air force and national hero of WWI, who used to paint a horse on the side of his planes. The countess asked Enzo to use this horse on his cars, suggesting it would bring him good luck. We are fond of the renowned model - Kelsey Merritt - she lends grace, beauty and calmness to every set and always listens to me.