Jane Schoenbrun, the provocative filmmaker behind the Mubi original "Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma," will direct a one-night live reading of "Secretary" nearly 25 years after Steven Shainberg's 2002 erotic romance first arrived. Film Independent and Mubi are mounting the revival, which will feature the cast of Schoenbrun's upcoming film.
The move pairs two projects that share thematic territory in exploring desire, power dynamics, and unconventional relationships through boldly provocative lenses. Shainberg's "Secretary," which starred Maggie Gyllenhaal and James Spader, became a cult classic for its unflinching examination of BDSM romance and workplace transgression. The film arrived as a rare mainstream entry willing to treat kink and submission as romantic rather than pathological.
Schoenbrun has emerged as one of contemporary cinema's most daring voices. Their 2021 debut "We're All Going to the World's Fair" premiered at Sundance and launched them as a filmmaker unafraid of confronting internet culture, gender, and embodiment. The filmmaker brings that same fearless sensibility to "Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma," a project that embraces sensuality and mortality alongside camp storytelling.
The live reading format activates a specific theatrical energy around "Secretary." Rather than a straightforward screening, audiences experience the material as performance, which emphasizes the text's dialogue and emotional stakes. This approach suits Shainberg's film, which built power through sharp writing and charged conversations between its leads.
Mubi's involvement signals how the platform has positioned itself as a curator of challenging cinema and theatrical events that expand beyond traditional distribution. The company regularly pairs archival titles with contemporary creators, fostering conversations about cinema history and artistic lineage.