Capturing a Legacy: George Khachfe Film & Stills
I had the opportunity to work on a legacy piece for someone with a rather extraordinary story, George Khachfe. It was a mix of film and stills, shot over a couple of days in London, designed to document not just what he does, but who he is.
And that distinction really mattered for this project.
Legacy Film about George Khachfe
Who is George Khachfe?
George has worn many hats over the years. Architect. Designer. CEO. Artist. His journey began in Beirut, where he started working in architecture at just 16. Eventually, life and work brought him to London, where he made a significant mark as the CEO of Poliform UK, a high-end furniture and design company. But in 2013, after years immersed in the business of aesthetics and structure, he made a conscious decision to walk away from the boardroom and turn towards painting full time.
There’s something deeply honest about someone making that kind of pivot. Not out of frustration or failure, but out of the pull to create for its own sake. George didn’t need to prove anything to anyone. He just wanted to paint.
A Legacy Project with Depth
The brief for this project was simple on the surface: create a film and accompanying set of photographs that reflect George’s journey, with an emphasis on his current life as an artist. But like most meaningful stories, the beauty was in the nuance.
We shot in two main locations: his studio, where the walls are lined with textured canvases and the smell of turpentine hangs in the air, and the Poliform showroom in Chelsea, a space that still carries his design DNA. It was a nice contrast—past and present overlapping, not in conflict, but in conversation with one another.
The film itself isn’t flashy. That was intentional. No gimmicks, no forced drama. Just George—working, reflecting, laughing occasionally when memories bubbled up mid-sentence. We let the silences breathe. The pauses mattered as much as the words. I wanted people watching it to feel like they were just sitting with him, listening.
The stills were shot in a way that echoed his paintings—layered, textural, full of contrast. A few frames ended up with flecks of paint on the lens. I kept them.
Why Projects Like This Matter
There’s something special about legacy films. They're not about marketing or social content or selling anything. They're about memory. About trying, in some small way, to put a life into frames. George is still very much in the middle of his story, but this chapter—the choice to create art after years of structure and business—felt important to capture.
Personally, I love these kinds of projects. They sit somewhere between documentary and portraiture. They’re slow, thoughtful. You get to know someone properly. And when it’s done well, I think you leave behind something that lasts longer than just a few views or likes.
Final Note
George is one of those rare people who’s managed to reinvent himself without ever losing sight of who he was. That’s a hard thing to do, especially in creative fields where identity can shift so easily.
If you’re considering a legacy project—whether it’s film, stills, or both—I’d love to talk. These aren’t just jobs for me. They’re personal. And they’re always worth doing properly.
