Julianne Moore will be executive producing Nathalie Musteta and director Alexandre Shin’s Oscar-nominated live-action short film “Saliva,” along with Isabelle Huppert.
Written, produced and directed by Musteata and Singh, this absurdist dystopian short premiered at the Telluride Film Festival in September 2024. Produced by Paris-based Misia Films (Valentina Merli and Violeta Clymer), the project is narrated by Vicki Krieps and stars Zar Amir (The Holy Spider) and Luana Bajrami (Portrait of a Lady on Fire).
Set in a society where kissing is outlawed and transactions are completed with a slap in the face, “Saliva Exchange” follows Anjeen (Ebrahimi), a disaffected woman who is attracted to a playful salesgirl (Bajrami) and comes under the suspicion of a jealous co-worker.
“Julianne Moore leads with empathy in both life and work. She has an uncanny ability to understand others’ inner lives and respect their complexity on screen,” said Musteta and Singh, a New York-based couple. “Having her join this film as an executive producer is personal for us. In Far From Heaven and Safe, she gave lasting shape to characters navigating identity, oppression, and vulnerability within a stifling social system, giving performances that deeply resonate with the themes of this film. We are truly honored to have her on our team.”
The live-action short film has had a strong presence on the film festival circuit, winning numerous accolades including the 2024 AFI Fest’s Grand Jury Prize, the SCAD Savannah Film Festival’s Block Award, and the Clermont-Ferrand International Short Film Festival’s Canal+ Domestic and National Audience Awards. The film is currently streaming on The New Yorker (newyorker.com) and The New Yorker’s YouTube channel.
Musteata and Singh are repped by WME. Moore is repped by WME and Huppert is repped by CAA.
