In a first for The Art of Costume, this episode of The Costume House with Spencer Williams steps beyond costume design and into a larger conversation about filmmaking itself.

Spencer is joined by directors and writers Alexandre Singh and Natalie Musteata, the visionary duo behind the 2026 Academy Award–nominated short film Two People Exchanging Saliva. Set in a surreal society where kissing is punishable by death and goods are purchased with slaps to the face, the film follows Angine, a woman navigating desire, repression, and absurd social rituals within the fluorescent aisles of a department store.

Together, they explore the film’s layered metaphors of intimacy, desire, identity, and repression, unpacking the surreal systems that govern this meticulously constructed world. From production design and visual references to the crucial role costume plays in shaping character and psychology, the conversation reveals how every aesthetic choice sharpens the film’s biting social commentary.

Sharp, strange, and deeply intentional, this conversation opens The Costume House to a broader creative lens—one where every detail matters.

Watch "Two People Exchanging Saliva" at this link: https://youtu.be/RuOEEu--j2Y?si=5hcg-kKQDxO_wQqn