A lead actor of a romance short film tries to avoid doing the kiss in his film’s climactic scene. An inherently ‘meta’ drama that hopes to both amuse and inspire its audience, this is a story about an actor’s attempt to reconcile the demands of his career with his personal desires and beliefs. 

The story was inspired by my observations of an increase in sexualisation in modern cinema. Sex scenes or nudity in films often feel ungrounded and unjustified by the story.

This issue extends behind the scenes as well. Despite the exaggerated scenario in A Fig Story (it’s just a kiss), I was surprised by the number of actors, particularly women, who felt that the story resonated with them. They shared experiences of feeling pressured to do uncomfortable scenes to avoid jeopardising their careers.

With comedic undertones, A Fig Story seeks to entertain alternative means through which romance can be conveyed on screen.