Miu Miu‘s acclaimed short-film series, Women’s Tales, invites today’s most profound and original female directors to investigate vanity and femininity in the 21st century. The series so far has featured work from Agnes Varda, Chloe Sevigny, Dakota Fanning, and more. Premiering today on Miu Miu’s website, the latest short I and The Stupid Boy is the 22nd installment.
Directed by Kaouther Ben Hania, I and The Stupid Boy speaks to many modern themes facing today’s generation of women: technology, intimacy, toxic relationships, and self-value. “I wanted to create an impossible love story,” says Ben Hania. “The girl in my story is very empathetic,” she continues, “whereas the boy sees everything from his own perspective.”
The fashion that the main character Nora (played by Oulaya Amamra) is wearing sets the tone for the plot. As the film’s intro progresses, we see a gradual uplift in Nora’s overall confidence and mood as she puts together her Miu Miu look for her date. “Nora has sex appeal, she wants to be cool. When she’s stopped by Kevin, her costume doesn’t help her. I love this contradiction,” Ben Hania adds. “Costumes are a very powerful tool in cinema, like scenery and lighting.”
The Tunisian film director’s most recent work, The Man Who Sold His Skin, was nominated for Best International Feature Film at the 93rd Academy Awards, and in July, she joined the International Jury at the Cannes Film Festival. Her feature Beauty and the Dogs was also selected in the 2017 Cannes Film Festival’s official selection.
The tale, which came about when Ben Hania overheard a young girl in Paris shout desperately at a boy, “give me back my phone!” is set to premiere during the Venice Film Festival on September 4, 2021. The series’ 21st installment Shangri-La, directed by Isabel Sandoval, will also premiere during the festival. Give it a watch below.
