The New Yorker’s “Two People Exchanging Saliva” Wins an Academy Award

T he film, written and directed by Alexandre Singh and Natalie Musteata, imagines a dystopian Paris where slaps to the face have replaced currency and kissing is forbidden-and punishable by death. When a young woman, Malaise, starts working at a glamorous boutique, she develops a quick connection with a wealthy customer, Angine, igniting the envy of her supervisor. A dark comedy of attraction and competition played out against a bizarro backdrop of stylized violence, the film premiered at the Telluride Film Festival and received the Grand Jury Prize at AFI Fest, hosted by the American Film Institute. Executive Producers include Julianne Moore and Isabelle Huppert. This is the directors' first Oscar.

"Two People Exchanging Saliva" is one of two New Yorker films to have been in the running for an Oscar this year; "Retirement Plan" was nominated in the Animated Short category. The New Yorker's " I'm Not a Robot ," a dark comedy about technology, took home the prize for Best Live Action Short last year. And " Stutterer ," released by the magazine in 2016, won that year's award for Best Live Action Short.

The films are presented by The New Yorker, from a team led by Paul Moakley and supported by Condé Nast Film and Television, led by Helen Estabrook and Sarah Amos. The films are part of the "Screening Room" series , which features fictional films that will make you laugh, cry, and challenge your view of the mundane and the extraordinary. The New Yorker's films have garnered numerous honors, including Academy Awards, Emmy Awards, Edward R. Murrow Awards, National Magazine Awards, and SPD Awards.