Before his passing, Abloh produced a documentary about the life and career of US Olympian Sha’Carri Richardson.
In November of 2021, Virgil Abloh left the world suddenly following an ongoing, private battle with cancer. The designer’s notoriety in the fashion industry formed its roots in his street-wear brand ‘Off-White’. Before his death, Abloh co-founded the film studio ‘ARCHITECTURE FILMS’ in an attempt to venture into the world of film.
The film studio co-founder Mahfuz shared the designer’s plans to progress into filmmaking.
“Over a year ago, Virgil, Chloe, and I promised each other we’d start making films, that we’d found a film studio,” Mahfuz states. “We miss dreaming with you V, we are so infinitely infinitely infinitely grateful to you.”
Sub Eleven Seconds
Virgil Abloh’s first project is a documentary about star sprinter Sha’Carri Richardson, a favourite to win gold at the Tokyo Olympics. ‘Sub Eleven Seconds’ follows the life and career of Richardson who becomes known as the sixth fastest female sprinter with a 10.72 second time for the 100m event.
“Time is my blessing and my curse,” Richardson says in the trailer for the documentary. “On the track, I’ve been blessed to run fast.”
“Off the track, time has cheated me,” she says. “You don’t know when something or someone will be taken from you.”
Richardson’s Controversy
Unfortunately, after testing positive for cannabis, Richardson receives a thirty-day ban and can not participate in the Tokyo Olympics. Across the globe, there is an overwhelming response to revoke the ban.
“I fear not being able to do what it is that I have been blessed to do, what I have been designed to do.”
Following the investigation, Richardson shared how cannabis use was her way of coping with the death of her mother.
Premiere at the Sundance Film Festival
Although Virgil Abloh passed before the release of the documentary, his passion for filmmaking finally becomes clear at the Sundance Film Festival in late January. While the documentary has only has a 24 minute running time, Sundance describes it as “a meditation on time, loss and hope”.
Watch the trailer for ‘Sub Eleven Seconds’ below:
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