Abstract
Global sustainability challenges require a more responsible approach to production and consumption patterns on a global scale. One of the industries under observation is the textile and fashion industry. The chapter highlights the critical role of communication about sustainability and circular economy, and in particular the important contribution of video storytelling through the long-form documentary. After a background, the chapter presents and analyses the case of a documentary on a story of excellence in the field: the circular economy system in the Prato textile district. In Prato used clothes have been transformed into regenerated yarns to be used for new creations for 150 years now. Such regeneration process is able to create materials upcycling, combining tradition and modern technologies. The chapter analyzes the context, the documentary structure, content, and style, providing reflections for similar video storytelling projects.
TopIntroduction
Global sustainability challenges and related strategies need an effective communication to inform, make aware, and engage different stakeholders. Multiple channels and many tools and formats are available, and one of the key tools - with the approval of both managers and marketing communication scholars - is storytelling (Gottschall, 2012). As many scholars remarked, this is for stories are part of the human experience and communication inventory, and so sound familiar to any audience (Boris & Peterson, 2018; Gottschall, 2012). Stories convey messages and can be very useful in case of complex and/or abstract concepts to be communicated (Dahlstrom 2014). An effective, well told story supports and fosters concepts understanding, learning, and remembering; besides, it can create an emotional resonance in the audience (Falcone, 2020; Fryer, 2003).
Most academic literature was focused on the important role of brand storytelling, supporting brands and companies (see among others Delgado-Ballester & Fernández-Sabiote, 2016; Fog et al., 2010; Naum, 2013), but storytelling is very effective also in case of purpose of impact (Neimand, 2023), e.g. informing about and promoting sustainability and circular economy practices.
Storytelling can be useful to expound problems and related solutions, presenting specific experiences and cases in the field.
The chapter explores the use of video storytelling - in the documentary long-form - to deal with the important theme of circular economy and present related experiences in the textile and fashion industry. The first part presents a background framework, including a brief examination of main concepts: sustainability and circular economy in the fashion industry, storytelling, video storytelling and its use in this specific field. The second part of the chapter describes and analyzes the case of a recent documentary on the Prato textile district, telling a story of excellence. In fact, through the valorization of several centuries of experience in the field of textile production, a circular economy system was established and has been active in the city for 150 years now, through the regeneration of used clothes. The documentary is analyzed in its context, structure, mode, and content, with a focus on visual aspects. From this analysis, some considerations and recommendations for similar documentaries in the field are provided.
Key Terms in this Chapter
Documentary modes of representation: documentaries can be made with different styles, and approaches, according to the director’s choices. In his book Introduction to Documentary (2010), Bill Nichols identifies six main modes: expository, observational, participatory, reflexive, poetic, performative.
Narrowing resource loops: this expression refers to the resource cycle management. In the circular economy approach loops narrowing occurs through a resource-saving - and more efficient - product design.
Global Sustainability Challenges: the engagement to leave next generations a non-deteriorated socio-economic-environmental ecosystem.
Industrial districts: industrial districts are coordinated productive systems. They are made of a certain number of companies based in a given specialized area, sharing know how and culture. Companies in a district are highly integrated in supply chain relations and adopt a cooperative behavior.
Expository mode: it is one of the six documentary modes of representation identified by Bill Nichols’ in the classification in his book Introduction to Documentary (2010). This mode is based on facts and so includes data, information, often directly provided by social actors in personal interviews. This mode is supported by a narrator’s voice-over explaining main passages and connecting sections. The expository mode is one of the most used documentary modes of representation.
“Stracci”: a 2021 documentary on the circular economy system in the Italian textile district of Prato. It was directed by Tommaso Santi, co-authored by Silvia Gambi, and produced by Kove.
Acts: main segments of a story structure. Usually a story is composed by three acts, and the longest is the second central one.
Slowing resource loops: this expression refers to the resource cycle management. In the circular economy approach loops slowing occurs through the extended duration of a product’s lifecycle.
Tommaso Santi: Italian director and screenwriter for both theatre performances and movies, he is author of short films and documentaries. The members of the Italian foreign press association awarded his documentary “Restoring the sky” in 2017. He is the director of “Stracci”.
Closing resource loops: this expression refers to the resource cycle management. In the circular economy approach loops closing occurs by recycling or re-using resources.
Three-Act Structure: a three-act structure is the typical storytelling structure, composed by a first introductive act (a prolog), a second act where usually complications occur, and a third one, with the story resolution.
Narrative shift: the transition from one scene to the next one in a movie or a documentary.