Vidal Sassoon: The Movie

Vidal Sassoon is famous for revolutionising hairdressing as we know it. In his salon in the early 1960s he did away with the tradition of weekly visits to the hairdressers which were so popular in the 1950s. He introduced precision cutting, transforming hairdressers from stylists into cutters. Gone were the rollers, hood dryers and high maintenance bouffant styles, and in their place were manageable, modern bobs and pixie crops that are still relevant today.

"The idea for the film started off as a personal tribute to him as he was approaching his 80th birthday, and then it grew into a major initiative to capture this man's life both in a film and a book. " explains Gordon.

The film, which will have its premiere at the 2010 Tribeca Film Festival on April 23, follows Gordon as he sets out to document Vidal's life in a book that will be released later this year. The film spans 80 years of the Sasoon's life from a London orphanage, to his time as an Israeli soldier, and then on to the floors of his salons and bringing us to the present day as he’s knighted by Queen Elizabeth II.

"We’ve visited the places he grew up – places he hadn’t been back to since leaving them decades ago. It’s been fascinating. I knew a lot about Vidal before starting this project, but now, two years later I have a much better, more informed picture of him – his life and what it has meant to him (and by extension, to me – he has always been my hero)." adds Gordon.

Sassoon, who Gordon describes as a man who "spent the majority of his life teaching everything he knew to others", will attend the festival and participate in a question-and-answer session following the screening, along with Gordon and Teper.