Jean-Baptiste Mondino

Lore & Background

The potential for a Jean-Baptiste Mondino volume was tied directly to the expansion plans of the Directors Label series. Following the release of four new volumes in 2005 featuring Mark Romanek, Jonathan Glazer, Anton Corbijn, and Stéphane Sednaoui, future releases were deemed unlikely by Richard Brown. Despite this shift, the list of directors at one point rumoured or planned for releases specifically included Mondino. This places him in a unique position within the history of music video documentation: a figure recognized as significant enough to be considered for the prestigious series that documented Spike Jonze, Chris Cunningham, and Michel Gondry, yet never having a volume released. The rumor also extended to a separate, planned hip-hop and R&B series featuring different directors, but Mondino's name appeared in the context of the main director-focused volumes.

In Their Own Story

In the timeline of the Directors Label, Jean-Baptiste Mondino exists as an 'almost' presence. While the first three volumes dropped in 2003 with Jonze, Cunningham, and Gondry, and four more followed in 2005 with Romanek, Glazer, Corbijn, and Sednaoui, the door closed on further releases shortly after. However, before that final decision was solidified by Richard Brown, Mondino's name circulated among the names of other directors like Mike Mills, Hammer & Tongs, Shynola, and Roman Coppola. These were the artists who could have joined the canon but did not. The story of Mondino in this context is one of potential unrealized; he was a planned inclusion that never materialized into a physical DVD containing his work, unlike the nine directors who ultimately received volumes.

Reader's Guide

For fans tracking the complete history of the Directors Label series, it is important to note that Jean-Baptiste Mondino does not have an official volume. The series consists of specific releases from 2003 and 2005 only. Any mention of Mondino's work in relation to this collection refers strictly to his status as a director who was 'rumoured or planned' for a release. He is not featured on any of the discs, nor does he appear in the bonus materials mentioned for other directors. If you are looking for his specific videos within this box set or individual DVD releases, they will not be found there, as Palm Pictures never produced the volume that was once contemplated.

Did You Know?

• Jean-Baptiste Mondino was one of the directors explicitly listed by Richard Brown as being at one point rumoured or planned for a release in the Directors Label series.
• While volumes for Spike Jonze, Chris Cunningham, and Michel Gondry were released in 2003, no volume for Mondino was ever produced.
• Mondino was considered alongside other directors such as Mike Mills, Hammer & Tongs, Shynola, and Roman Coppola for future releases that ultimately did not happen.
• The series creator Richard Brown stated that future releases in the series are unlikely, cementing the fact that Mondino's volume will never be released.
• Unlike the nine directors who received volumes between 2003 and 2005, Mondino remains part of the 'what could have been' list for the Directors Label collection.