Jane Schoenbrun, the filmmaker behind "Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma," will direct a live reading of Steven Shainberg's 2002 erotic romance "Secretary" featuring the cast of her upcoming Mubi film. The one-night-only revival marks nearly 25 years since the original film's release and comes through a partnership between Film Independent and Mubi.
The project joins a growing trend of literary and cinematic works receiving theatrical staged readings as alternative presentation formats. "Secretary," which starred Maggie Gyllenhaal and James Spader in a controversial romance centered on power dynamics and unconventional desire, remains a cult touchstone in independent cinema despite its initial mixed critical reception.
Schoenbrun's involvement signals cross-pollination between generations of provocative filmmakers willing to engage with erotic material on screen. Her debut feature "We're All Going to the World's Fair" (2021) and forthcoming work demonstrate a consistent interest in transgressive narratives and adolescent experience. Casting her actors in a literary reading of "Secretary" creates an intriguing meta-layer, applying the sensibilities of one erotic narrative onto another.
The live reading format has gained traction as an event-based offering that archives tend to reserve for prestigious theater traditions. Pairing it with Mubi, the subscription service known for championing arthouse cinema, reinforces how independent film festivals and streaming platforms now function as cultural tastemakers competing with traditional theatrical distribution. Film Independent's involvement adds institutional weight to what might otherwise remain a curiosity.
"Secretary" experienced a rehabilitation in recent years as critics reconsidered its treatment of female desire and agency within BDSM dynamics. Revisiting it through Schoenbrun's contemporary lens invites fresh interpretation of Shainberg's original vision while leveraging both filmmakers' credibility within indie circles.