Top Spot of the Week: Damien Chazelle Directs Hennessy's "Greatest Odyssey" For DDB Paris

Hennessy has launched Life is the Greatest Odyssey, a short film directed by Academy Award-winning (La La Land) filmmaker Damien Chazelle for DDB Paris. This marks the third installment of the Odyssey opus following collaborations with directors Sir Ridley Scott (2019) and Nicolas Winding Refn (2016).

Inspired by the idea that each drop of Hennessy X.O is an Odyssey, Chazelle--whose feature directorial credits also include Whiplash, First Man and Babylon--contemplates in this short how the smallest of moments can trigger a disruptive Odyssey of thoughts and memories. Shot in Prague, the film is scored by Chazelle’s long-time collaborator and Academy Award winning composer Justin Hurwitz.

Juxtaposing space and time, Chazelle tells the story of a musician who finds himself swept away by his life’s memories in a whirlwind adventure where places, people, sound, music, and emotions coalesce over the span of one sip of Hennessy X.O cognac. The director ends the piece on a note of gratitude and hopefulness, prompting viewers to look inward and reflect on their own lives.

“The film centers around the idea that the most fleeting of emotions can trigger an odyssey wherein childhood, early adulthood, and the future overlap,” said Chazelle whose commercialmaking/branded content home is Superprime. “With Hennessy X.O I looked into one person’s memories while leaving the audience to complete the picture.” 

Alexander Kalchev, chief creative officer at DDB Paris, said, “It’s an homage to the greatness of a human life. In a way, X.O takes the form of Proust’s madeleine, taking us on a multi-sensorial journey through the past, present and future. Telling this story took hundreds of extras, hand-made sets designed by the wonderful Florencia Martin and the poetic beauty of Damien Chazelle’s delicate direction. It’s been an honor and privilege to work on this film and continue building the Hennessy X.O brand.”