Artists Alexandre Singh and Natalie Musteata won an Oscar for best live action short film. Their dystopian short, Two People Exchanging Saliva, tied with the musical comedy short The Singers.
A Surprising Tie
Comedian Kumail Nanjiani presented the award. He seemed surprised by the tie, telling the audience, "It's a tie—I'm not joking, it's actually a tie."
Two People Exchanging Saliva is 36 minutes long and in French. The Singers is an 18-minute musical comedy directed by Sam Davis. It shows strangers connecting through music during social isolation.
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Start Your News DetoxThe Film's Story
Singh and Musteata's film first showed at the Telluride Film Festival. It has been shown at many international festivals since then. The story is set in present-day Paris. It shows a society where kissing and most physical intimacy are illegal and can lead to death. People pay for goods by slapping store employees.
The film follows Malaise, a saleswoman, and Angine, a customer. They try to hide their growing attraction in a world where small rule-breaking can be deadly.
Acceptance Speech
During his acceptance speech, Singh spoke about the power of art. He said, "We believe that art can change people’s souls… we can change society through art and creativity, through theatre and ballet." Musteata called the win "a dream."
Singh has shown his work at galleries like Sprüth Magers. Musteata, an art historian, has worked with him on many projects. These include the exhibition "A Gothic Tale" and the short film The Appointment.
