Artists and filmmakers Alexandre Singh and Natalie Musteata won the Oscar for best live action short film on Sunday for their dystopian short Two People Exchanging Saliva. In a rare twist, however, they didn’t take the prize alone. The award ended in a tie with the musical comedy short The Singers.
Two People Exchanging Saliva runs 36 minutes and is in French, while The Singers, an 18-minute musical comedy directed by Sam Davis, follows a group of strangers who connect through music during a moment of widespread social isolation.
Comedian and actor Kumail Nanjiani, who presented the award, seemed almost as surprised as the nominees. “It’s a tie—I’m not joking, it’s actually a tie,” he said from the stage. “Everyone calm down, we’re going to get through this, focus up.”
Singh and Musteata’s film premiered at the Telluride Film Festival and has since circulated widely on the international festival circuit. Set in present-day Paris, it imagines a society where kissing, and nearly any form of physical intimacy, is illegal and punishable by death. In this strange economy, customers pay for everyday goods with ritualized slaps delivered to store employees. The story follows Malaise, a department-store saleswoman, and Angine, an elegant regular customer, who struggle to suppress a growing attraction in a world where even minor transgressions can be fatal.
During his acceptance speech, Singh, who is known for his elaborate performances and narrative artworks, used the opportunity to take a light jab at recent comments by Timothée Chalamet. “We believe that art can change people’s souls… we can change society through art and creativity, through theatre and ballet,” he told the audience.
Afterward, Musteata described the win simply: “It’s a dream.”
Singh has previously exhibited with galleries including Sprüth Magers and the now-closed Metro Pictures. Musteata, a writer and curator with a PhD in art history, has collaborated with him on numerous projects across exhibitions, films, and publications, including the exhibition “A Gothic Tale” and the short film The Appointment.
