WHAT I KNOW
ITS A FEATURE
IT IS A GENRE FILM
THE PRIMARY CONTAINER IS ONE PRODUCTION DAY
A PERFUME CAMPAIGN IS BEING MADE
THE PERFUME DOESNT EVEN EXIST YET
CHLOE PLAYS CINDY
CINDY PARTICIPATES IN THE MAKING
I AM IN THE FILM
THE PRODUCTION CREATES A CHAIN OF CAUSE AND EFFECT
THE SETTING IS A CONFINED SPACE
THE SHOOT BECOMES THE AD
THE AD BECOMES THE MYTH
THE ENDING ENTERS PORNOGRAPHY AND THE UNBEARABLE
COMEDY / DREAD
TAKES PLACE IN JULY AND AUGUST
THE FILM MUST PLAY THEATRICALLY
THE AUDIENCE SHOULD EXPERIENCE THE FILM AS A THRILLER, WITH THE BIOGRAPHICAL ELEMENTS LEAVING THEM TO WONDER: DID THAT REALLY HAPPEN?
LOOKING AT BOTH OF THEIR WORK FROM 1999–2004, BEFORE CINDY TURNED 50.
CINDY WAS MAKING IMAGES SHE DID NOT PHYSICALLY APPEAR IN, YET PEOPLE CONTINUED TO SEARCH FOR HER INSIDE THEM FOR THE VALUE.
CHLOË WAS TAKING ROLES THAT WHERE RISKY, PORNAGRAPHIC, COMPLEX AND COULD NOT HAVE BEEN MADE MEANING, GONE INTO PRODUCTION, WITH OUT HER.
THE CONNECTION IS NOT RESEMBLANCE.
BOTH OF THEM USE DISTANCE, PERFORMANCE, COSTUME, VALUE AND WITHHOLDING TO CREATE AN IMAGE THAT REMAINS VERY ALIVE
I AM INTERESTED IN THE DISTANCE BETWEEN THEM.
CHLOË’S COOLNESS, RESERVE, STIFFNESS, HUMOR, BEAUTY, AND RESISTANCE TO EASY EMOTIONAL LEGIBILITY ARE NOT LIMITATIONS OF THE PERFORMANCE. THEY ARE PART OF THE FILM.
SHE CAN PLAY CINDY WHILE ALLOWING CINDY TO REMAIN UNRESOLVED.
SCRIPTS
I LOVE EACH VERSION AND THINK THEY EACH HOLD SCENES IN THE FILM WHAT I GOT FROM THEM IS THE LOGIC OF THE SHOOT
BECAUSE THE COMMERCIAL MUST BE COMPLETED, CINDY SUBMITS TO THE PROCESS.
BECAUSE SHE SUBMITS, THE PRODUCTION DISCOVERS SOMETHING USABLE IN HER.
IT DISCOVERS SOMETHING USABLE, IT DEMANDS MORE.
IT DEMANDS MORE, CINDY BEGINS RESISTING, PERFORMING, MANIPULATING, OR SURRENDERING.
SHE CHANGES, THE COMMERCIAL ITSELF CHANGES.
BY THE END, NO ONE KNOWS WHETHER CINDY IS MAKING THE ADVERTISEMENT OR THE ADVERTISEMENT IS MAKING CINDY.
THE EXTERNAL OBJECTIVE IS: FINISH THE FUCKING PERFUME CAMPAIGN.
THE INTERNAL PROBLEM IS: CINDY HAS SPENT HER LIFE TRANSFORMING HER APPEARANCE WITHOUT NECESSARILY TRANSFORMING HERSELF.
THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN TRANSFORMATION AND DEATH, OR A KIND OF DEATH.
I THINK THE JUMPING-OFF POINT IS THAT THE INTERVIEW BEGINS AS SOURCE MATERIAL AND BECOMES A MECHANISM THROUGH WHICH MEMORY ENTERS AND DESTABILIZES THE SET.
THE PRODUCTION’S PROFESSIONAL ABSURDITY ALLOWS EVERYONE TO DENY THE HORROR LONG AFTER IT HAS BECOME OBVIOUS.
OTHER LOCATIONS THAT COULD EXIST IN THE FILM:
THE BACKSEAT OF A LIMO
CINDY’S HAMPTONS HOUSE
LOS ANGELES
THE CLOSET
THE INTERVIEWERS APARTMENT
AN INTERVIEW IN THE PRESENT TENSE, FROM WHICH THE ENTIRE DAY UNFOLDS AS A RECOLLECTION.
TO BE DEVELOPED IS THE WHOLE STORY THE SHOOT SITS IN
WRITTEN BY OTTESSA MOSHFEGH
OCTOBER 29, 2025
WRITTEN BY OTTESSA MOSHFEGH
SEPTEMBER 25, 2024
WRITTEN BY OTTESSA MOSHFEGH
SEPTEMBER 30, 2024
WRITTEN BY OTTESSA MOSHFEGH
OCTOBER 14, 2024
WRITTEN BY OTTESSA MOSHFEGH
OCTOBER 31, 2024
A THRILLER BUILT ENTIRELY INSIDE A WORLD WE KNOWS HOW TO MAKE SPECIFIC. THE GENRE DOES NOT SIT ON TOP OF THE WORLD. IT EMERGES FROM THE WORLD ITSELF. THE PRODUCTION IS NOT JUST THE BACKDROP.
I AM THINKING ABOUT THESE FILMS
SYMBIOPSYCHOTAXIPLASM
FOR PRODUCTION AS A PERFORMANCE
PRET-A-PORTER
FOR FASHION WORLD, RUNWAY, AND INDUSTRY MACHINE
THE PLAYER
FOR SATIRE, PEOPLE WATCHING PEOPLE, AND “THE BUSINESS“
I KNOW WE CAN NAIL THIS MAKING OF AN AD IDEA.
I WANT TO WORK WITH MY FRIENDS AND LONGTIME COLLABORATORS, DAVID AND SOLOMON OF TORSO HELP US REALIZE THE PERFUME AD TO ITS HIGHEST REAL, AND ALSO COMICAL, POTENTIAL.
YOU CAN CLICK ON THE IMAGES BELOW TO SEE THE FULL PERFUME ADS
STYLING
WITH THIS, I MOSTLY REALIZED THAT WE ARE NOT REDOING CINDY’S WORK OR RECREATING HER IMAGES OR MAKE UP. WE ARE TAKING HER PROCESS AND LEARNING FROM IT.
STYLING BECOMES A QUESTION OF AUTHORSHIP
CHLOË IS IN COUTURE FOR THE PERFUME AD. THE STYLING FOR THE REST OF THE FILM NEEDS TO FEEL YOUNG, LIKE A DEPICTION OF WHERE WE ACTUALLY ARE IN THE WORLD.
IT IS NOT COSTUME. IT IS STYLING.
WITH THIS, I MOSTLY REALIZED THAT WE ARE NOT REDOING CINDY’S WORK OR RECREATING HER IMAGES OR MAKE UP. WE ARE TAKING HER PROCESS AND LEARNING FROM IT.
STYLING BECOMES A QUESTION OF AUTHORSHIP
CHLOË IS IN COUTURE FOR THE PERFUME AD. THE STYLING FOR THE REST OF THE FILM NEEDS TO FEEL YOUNG, LIKE A DEPICTION OF WHERE WE ACTUALLY ARE IN THE WORLD.
IT IS NOT COSTUME. IT IS STYLING.
ROLES FOR ACTORS OF REAL CINEMATIC AND CULTURAL SCALE. NOT CAMEOS. EVERYONE IS PLAYING A CHARACTER. EVERYONE HAS A DRAMATIC FUNCTION. SOMETIMES IM THINKING ABOUT CURLY IN CHINATOWN.
LEAD
CHLOË SEVIGNY
CINDY SHERMAN
AS HERSELF AS MAKE-UP ARTIST / BAG LADY
SUPPORTING CHARACTERS
CASTING BY RACHEL CHANDLER AND ... TBD
RACHELS TAKE ON NEW YORK SOCIETY AND FASHION WORLD AND WHO INHABITS THIS WORLD
FOR
BAG LADIES
CINDY SHERMAN AND CHLOE SEVIGNY
SCRIPTS
FORM
A PERFUME AD
STYLING
CASTING / CHARACTERS
CINEMATOGRAPHY
THE SET
MAKEUP
CAMERA
PRODUCTS / THE BOTTLE
THE SMELL / FLORA AND FAUNA
SCREENS
FOOD / THE KNIFE
VIGNETTES
THE CORRIDOR / RUNWAY
CHOREOGRAPHY / MOVEMENT
MUSIC / SCORE / BIRTHDAY SONG
THE BAG LADY
EDITING
THE INTERVIEW