Call Me By Your Name (2017) Sony Pictures Classics
The summer romance in André Aciman’s 2007 novel Ruf mich bei deinem Namen strikes a balance between relatable emotions and aspirational escapism. It is one that easily captures the imagination and has resulted in many attempts to flesh out the world that these characters live in beyond the author’s vivid descriptions. In Luca Guadagnino’s 2017 film adaptation, Céline knitwear designer Giulia Piersanti outfitted the protagonists, Oliver and Elio, in an enviable ‘80s leisure wardrobe filled with pastel oxfords, striped polo shirts and faded floral swim trunks. The film also boasted a memorable soundtrack featuring a mix of classical piano, Italo-disco and Sufjan Stevens songs that seem to automatically play in your head when anything Ruf mich bei deinem Namen-related comes up. With the release of Aciman’s Find Me last week, which is set 20 years after the breakup, indie perfumer Folie a Plusieurs has bottled the scent of the love stories in the new book.
‘Find Me’ and ‘Seek’ by perfumers Mark Buxton and David Chieze respectively, capture two distinct moments of passion in the novel. While Folie includes perfume notes, such as “bergamot, lemon, mandarin, pine needle, Siberian pine, ginger, cardamom, black pepper, néroli, skin/sex accord, leather, orange blossom, musk, Oakwood,” it is the feeling of the olfactive experience that is stressed, “reminiscent of a night in Liguria, Italy. A contrast of young love with old spirit. The freshness of Italian citrus, ancient gardens in Rome filled with pine trees and linen bed sheets.”
The perfumery, known for its translations of films such as The Lobster und La Haine, worked with the Find Me author to bring the smell of the story to life. “As I’ve frequently written about scents, this was a double pleasure,” Aciman says. “And a greater pleasure yet was knowing that a tale about a love story set in Rome could generate its own perfume, and evoke a city I have loved more than any other.
Image courtesy of Folie à Plusieurs.