“Inside the Dream”: a behind the scenes look at creating an iconic Dior perfume

For a full year, director Matthieu Menu followed Dior Perfume Creation Director Francis Kurkdjian, inviting us for an inside look at the fascinating journey as the perfumer created L’Or de J’adore, his reinvention of the Dior’s legendary J’adore fragrance.   

From the gardens of Château de la Colle Noire, outside Grasse in the south of France, to Japanese temples for a Kôdô ceremony and the jasmine fields of India, the documentary accompanies Francis Kurkdjian on his travels. “Inside the Dream” joins the perfumer as his fledgling idea takes shape at Dior offices in Paris’ 8th arrondissement, all the way to the reveal of the fragrance last September in the luxurious setting of the École Nationale des Beaux-Arts. 

This captivating globetrotting tour is punctuated by interviews with all those who have contributed to the global success of J’adore over the past 20 years, including a look at the close ties between the brand and actor and producer Charlize Theron, global ambassador of J’adore for many years.  

Sharing his artistic approach to the documentary, director Matthieu Menu explains: “I wanted to show the origins of a composition while providing access to the world of luxury in all its truth. The aim of this film was to reproduce a creative journey while capturing true sincerity. The doubts of the fragrance creator are revealed, as is his exacting, complex quest, and the myriad women and men who make the existence of such a perfume possible. We had to capture a certain sense of creative solitude, paired with the impressive and essential synergy of a collective endeavor.” 

The documentary “Inside The Dream” was released on November 29 on Canal+ and is available for streaming on Prime Video.