Claire Denis Directs Miu Miu Women's Tales #32, “Avec Kim”

Critically acclaimed French filmmaker Claire Denis—lauded for her 1999 masterpiece, Beau Travail, and her incisive, atmospheric 1988 feature, Chocolat—is the latest director to participate in Miu Miu Women’s Tales, the longest-running commissioning platform of female-led short films. Denis’ installment, titled Avec Kim, marks the 32nd entry in the series, and follows last year’s exquisite cinematic exploration from Mona Fastvold, Discipline. The 12-minute short premiered during the 2026 Venice Film Festival this September, coupled with conversations involving Fastvold, Amanda Seyfried, Antonia Gentry, Zoey Deutch, Thuso Mbedu, Cailee Spaeny, and the cast of Avec Kim: Suzanne Lindon and Sonic Youth’s Kim Gordon.

Part of the Giornate degli Autori program, Avec Kim follows a young mechanic (played by Lindon) as she restores a sinewy 1980s sedan in a moody garage before slipping from overalls into a dark leather ensemble and driving through day-lit Paris—to meet Kim (played by Gordon). With a focus on driver/passenger POV, and unfolding largely without dialogue, the short reflects Denis’ celebrated “cinema of the body,” which prioritizes movement, sound, physical presence, and sensory experience over conventional narrative. Following chance encounters and passing glances, a story of friendship unfolds.

“The camera is my most important choreographer by being close and respectful to the actors,” Paris-based Denis shared in a statement. The film’s textured visuals unfold atop a slowly burning score from Gordon. Throughout, the wardrobe takes on new meaning (particularly through exchanged pieces), as does the silver vehicle itself. It’s another testament to the power and creative freedom of a series that allows women to tell stories of femininity in their own voice.