A riveting short film called Rare is the Rose, produced by Amouage, the Omani international luxury fragrance brand, pays a poetic tribute to the fabled Omani Rock Rose.
The movie was filmed by a young, all-Omani team, led by director and editor Ammar Al Mazroe, in the northeastern Hajar Mountain Range, home to the Al Jabal Al Akhdar mountains, where the precious, extremely rare flower is harvested once a year between March and April when the rocky slopes briefly transform into a colourful, predominantly pink paradise.
Amouage, which was formed in 1983 and now has its perfumes sold around the world, commissions a new artistic take every year on the story of the iconic rose – known for its unique aroma which is described as sweet and musky with a hint of spice – that is used in many of the brand’s finely crafted creations.
The short, five-minute film is this year’s creative initiative and details how the Rock Rose’s higher oil content is the reason why it is sought after so much in the perfume industry.
The movie shows the rocky slopes where it grows, how the wind creates the ideal microclimate for the flower to blossom and how an ancient method of irrigation – known as the ‘Falaj’ system – uses gravity and underground water sources to ensure that the rose beds are kept nourished.
The movie also brilliantly showcases how the rose harvest takes place at the crack of dawn – when the petals open, unleashing their fragrance – with every flower picked by hand by members of the local community. Even young children join in as the camera follows them wandering among the roses with little baskets that are soon full of pink petals.
This painstaking process is necessary to produce the high-quality oils that ensure Amouage’s perfumes are a cut above all others. The roses are then promptly taken to a distillation plant where the essence is extracted. The flower’s oil is also a good raw ingredient for medicines.
All of Amouage’s perfumes are inspired by Oman’s culture, heritage and natural resources and the brand is an icon in the perfumery world because of its repertoire of more than 50 unmatched fragrances.
For more information, please visit www.amouage.com
To make a purchase, log on to
www.51east.com/eng/catalogsearch/result/?q=Amouage
www.parigallery.com/search?q=amouage&type=product%2cpage
www.salams.com/catalogsearch/result/?q=Amouage