MILAN — In the high-stakes world of fashion-backed cinema, few partnerships feel as serendipitous or as artistically aligned as the latest collaboration between French multihyphenate Suzanne Lindon and legendary director Claire Denis. Their joint effort, titled Avec Kim, serves as the 32nd chapter of the long-running Miu Miu Women’s Tales series. Set to premiere this Saturday at the Venice Film Festival’s "Giornate degli Autori," the project is not merely a promotional short film; it is a profound meditation on the physical form, the art of the road movie, and the quiet power of unspoken performance.
For Lindon, a rising star in the French auteur landscape, the project demanded a sudden shift in gears—literally. "Claire called me one morning and asked if I could drive," Lindon recalls. "I said, ‘I don’t have my license, but give me two weeks.’ The day after, I was at the driving school down my street, taking lessons."
A Creative Odyssey: The Genesis of Avec Kim
The project is the latest iteration of the Miu Miu Women’s Tales initiative, a series that has, since 2011, positioned the luxury house as a patron of independent female-led cinema. By commissioning directors like Claire Denis, Miu Miu moves beyond traditional advertising, instead fostering a space where fashion functions as a secondary language to the film’s narrative.
In Avec Kim, Denis conceptualizes a Parisian road movie that interrogates the relationship between a woman’s body and the characters she inhabits. The visual arc of the film is a masterclass in sensory storytelling. We follow the lead character—played by Lindon—through the fragmented moments of a sun-drenched day. The aesthetic journey is textured: from the tactile, gritty reality of a woman in mechanic’s overalls wrestling with a 1980s sedan, to the polished, sharp aesthetic of a head-to-toe leather ensemble behind the wheel.
The narrative is purposefully sparse. There is no heavy exposition or didactic dialogue. Instead, the film relies on atmosphere, the hum of the city, and the physical presence of the performers. The destination of this journey is a quiet, monumental square featuring a historic fountain, where the protagonist finally meets her mysterious counterpart: the iconic Sonic Youth cofounder and musician, Kim Gordon.
Chronology: A Mutual Evolution
The professional relationship between Lindon and Denis is rooted in a deep, long-standing creative admiration. Their first contact occurred around the release of Spring Blossom (2020), the film that established Lindon as a director at the age of 19.
"Claire has been my queen since I was 15," Lindon admits. "She made me realize that one can film people and stories in a sensual way. The freedom in her films and her independence, at a time where women filmmakers were not heard enough, is an example for me."
This professional bond deepened during the production of The Fence, a drama directed by Denis, which premiered last year. Lindon was brought on to collaborate on the screenplay, a process that saw her spending nearly 18 months in the director’s kitchen, refining the script. "Watching her at work made me grow like a plant," says Lindon. "She helped me blossom."
However, Avec Kim represents a pivotal shift in their dynamic. For the first time, Lindon stepped fully in front of the camera under Denis’s direction. Observing the director in her natural habitat—the film set—has been a transformative experience for the young actress. "I’ve seen her home, and it made me realize that her natural habitat isn’t home, but a film set," Lindon remarks.
Supporting Data: The Craft of Silence
The lack of dialogue in Avec Kim is a deliberate stylistic choice that prioritizes the "attitude" of the character over the mechanics of a plot. For an actor, this creates a unique set of challenges.
"I think Claire wanted to capture an attitude more than explaining things with a story or informative dialogues," Lindon explains. "I wanted to embody that certain feeling of effortlessness… But keeping it simple, being silent, and not doing anything particular are the most difficult things to do for an actor because you can’t help yourself with anything. You have to remain open and in the moment."
The film also showcases the musical sensibilities of Kim Gordon, who provided the score. The chemistry between the two women on screen is palpable, born from real-time connection. "We spent the day talking together in the car and between takes," Lindon notes. "I loved to get to know her so easily. She is brilliant, very intuitive, and extremely sweet."
Official Responses and Industry Context
Miu Miu’s commitment to this series is widely viewed as a "brave" endeavor in an industry that often favors fleeting digital content over long-term artistic investment. Lindon is quick to credit the brand for its foresight: "Miu Miu was the first to create that bridge between fashion and cinema—and with a feminine point of view, at a time when it wasn’t very current."
The brand’s approach, overseen by Miuccia Prada, remains a cornerstone of the label’s identity. Lindon, who has walked in three Miu Miu shows and fronted their campaigns, describes the experience of being in the studio with Mrs. Prada as being "like a mouse, watching the studio building the collection together."
This unique access has influenced Lindon’s own creative philosophy. She describes Miu Miu as "Mrs. Prada’s home," noting that the brand’s refusal to compromise its vision has made it an outlier in the luxury sector. "Miu Miu is ahead of its time… It is funny and referenced. Watch a Miu Miu show and you’ll learn a lot," she says.
Implications: The Multi-Disciplinary Future
As the festival season reaches its zenith in Venice, Lindon finds herself at a crossroads of several successful career paths. Having just wrapped her second feature film as a director and preparing for the release of a new film by Gustave Kervern, she represents a new generation of talent that rejects the pressure to specialize.
"What my generation does is allow oneself to do many things," she says. "I think we should be very proud of that, because it wasn’t the case even 10 years ago. I hope to live a life where I don’t have to choose."
This refusal to choose extends to her interest in photography, a long-held passion that she is now looking to formalize. "On my set, I took a hundred photos and I am thinking of doing something with them," she reveals.
The Intersection of Style and Substance
For the industry, the success of Avec Kim underscores the efficacy of "soft-power" branding. By aligning with directors like Denis, Miu Miu elevates its product into the realm of high art, ensuring that its identity is linked to intellectual curiosity and cultural depth rather than just seasonal trends.
As for Lindon, her future is as multifaceted as the characters she portrays. Whether she is behind the camera as a director, in front of it as an actress, or documenting the world through the lens of a camera, her trajectory remains consistent: a pursuit of authenticity.
"I dress up to feel truly myself," she concludes. "It’s my way to affirm my personality. It’s the same thing when I act. On set, even if I play someone else, I have to remain myself in a way."
As the Miu Miu Women’s Tales 32nd chapter prepares to grace the screen in Venice, it serves as a testament to the fact that when fashion and cinema are allowed to intersect without the weight of commerce, the result is not just a film, but a moment of genuine, human, and artistic clarity.
