By Design

SYNOPSIS

Upon seeing a gorgeous chair in a showroom, Camille (Juliette Lewis) realizes that she truly envies the life of this perfect piece of furniture. If only she could be someone’s favorite thing. When she and the chair swap forms, Camille learns that she is better liked as an inanimate object than she was as a person: her mother (Betty Buckley) finds her to be a better listener, and her best friends (Samantha Mathis and Robin Tunney) enjoy a newfound, friction-free rapport. As the chair, Camille is unable to speak or move and winds up in the hands of Olivier (Mamoudou Athie), a minimalist bachelor who gradually becomes romantically fixated on his elegant new possession.

Narrated by Melanie Griffith, this modern fable celebrates the messiness of female interiority with deadpan humor, surrealist flourishes, and interpretative dance numbers. An absurdist spin on the body-swap comedy, By Design is a bold new work from singular filmmaker Amanda Kramer.

IN SELECT CINEMAS FROM 16 OCTOBER

16-22 October: LONDON The ICA – Book now

19 October: LEWES Depot + post-film ‘Cinemas of the Mind’ discussion – Book now

19 October: BRISTOL Cube Cinema – Book soon

23-29 October: BRADFORD Pictureville Cinema @ NSMM – Book now

23,24,26,27 October: LONDON ActOne – Book soon

6,7, 12 November: OXFORD Ultimate Picture Palace – Book soon

24,29 November: LONDON Coldharbour Blue – Book soon

*More cinemas to be confirmed. Please check this page for latest listings