Journeying from the cellars of the Cognac region to the skyscrapers of Shanghai, filmmaker Dustin Lynn navigates the rituals behind the production of world-class cognac Hennessy V.S.O.P (Very Superior Old Pale). Keeping its singular blend a guarded secret for nearly two centuries, this year the legendary brandy's iconic bottle has been re-imagined for the modern age by creative maverick Chris Bangle, the one-time BMW Chief of Design. Lynn met with Bangle at his home in the hills of Torino, Italy, to discuss Hennessy V.S.O.P’s newly streamlined silhouette, which at once represents the spirit of the storied cognac and its vision for the future of the house. In Cognac, Lynn captured master oenologists—including Olivier Paultes, Hennessy’s Distillery Director and member of the Tasting Committee—deliberating over the 60 varieties of eaux-de-vie that are harmonized in the amber-tinted cognac, and which go on to spend 15 years developing in oak barrels stored in the cellars of Hennessy's Château Bagnolet. “Three elements make up Hennessy cognac,” explains Lynn, “wood, air and spirit. The people at Hennessy are very sensitive to this and their tradition surrounding it.” The redesign of the Hennessy V.S.O.P bottle was feted with a tasting world tour that kicked off in Shanghai and saw Lynn following Paultes and Bangle to the new vessel’s public unveiling. The nomadic Lynn, who at 19 years old opened the Tribeca Film Festival with his debut film Tranquil Music, has since made music videos for electronic duo Kruder & Dorfmeister and fashion films for Alexander McQueen.