Nothing makes us happier than seeing Arab creatives thriving in their field of work.
Earlier this month, the Italian fashion house Miu Miu revealed a piece of rather exciting news on their Instagram. “#MiuMiu is proud to introduce #KaoutherBenHania as director of “ I AND THE STUPID BOY”, the latest chapter of the #MiuMiuWomensTales film series. The movie will premiere at the Venice Film Festival’s Giornate degli Autori on September 4th 2021. Photography by @BrigitteLacombe.”
The 14-minute short film, directed by Tunisian screenwriter and Oscar-nominee Kaouther Ben Hania, who directed none other than “The Man Who Sold His Skin,” follows a storyline of a striking young woman named Nora who is newly in love and dressing up for an evening date. While heading out, she finds herself taking a shortcut through an abandoned building and coincidently running into her ex-boyfriend, Kevin, who begins to badger her.
Emerging French actress Oulaya Amara plays leading actress Nora, and Kevin is played by Sandor Funtek, who recently appeared in two films at Cannes. The inspiration behind the short film is built upon the overheard conversations in the world’s capital of romance, Paris. Showcasing young women around the globe and highlighting the relationship between intimacy, emotional toxic interactions and technology – it even touches on self-value.
During the Venice International Film Festival, “I and the Stupid Boy,” made a debut earlier in the week as a part of Miu Miu’s “Women’s Tales” series. In a recent interview, Ben Hania revealed, “I wanted to create an impossible love story. The girl in my story is very empathetic, whereas the boy sees everything from his own perspective.”
This isn’t the first time we’ve seen the fashion label work with Arab directors. During the brands 16th short series, “The Wedding Singer’s Daughter,” Miu Miu teamed up with Saudi filmmaker Haifaa Al-Mansour and created a rather captivating storyline.
