Director Benjamin Simmons
Benjamin was born and raised in New Orleans, Louisiana. He went to McMain Secondary School and Xavier University. He partied a fair amount and studied somewhat. Once he hit his 30s he decided that he was ready to change professions from IT Consultant to filmmaker. He began teaching himself film and photography and in 2014, four years into his new profession, he decided he wanted to create a film that his city could stand behind and Animals was born.
Animals is a love story about a shoe. In 1991, while Switzerland was celebrating its 700th Year Anniversary as a country, pre-internet New Orleans was in its own fashion bubble. Although it adopted some of its fashions from New York and Los Angeles, its style was uniquely its own. So when Bally Of Switzerland released its unique Uri shoe to commemorate its country’s celebration, this was the shoe of choice for the top earners. Animals tells that story.