Short Film

highheels – a fairy tale born of obsession

ハイヒール　こだわりが生んだおとぎ話

Directed by: Inchul Lee
2016 / 30 minutes / PG

Abandon desire or face destruction

Screened as part of JFF 2017

In a distant future, humans make the switch to android life. They abolish ‘flaws’ such as complicated human needs and traits such as the ability to possess and express emotion. However, a system glitch causes ‘desire’ to resurface in some, including Kai (Rinko Kikuchi; Pacific Rim, Babel), an android shoe-maker.

Kai begins to feel an obsession with her craft, like what human beings used to have. One day, an android customer orders Kai to create a special pair of heels. Shut in the atelier, Kai remakes the shoes over and over again until it’s perfect.

When the customer returns, Kai finds out that one shoe doesn’t quite fit. But just as Kai promised to put more work into the pair of shoes, another customer comes to demand her own special pair too.

ABOUT INCHUL LEE AND HIGHHEELS

Inchul Lee was born in South Korea and moved to Japan when he was 19. highheels is his second short film, produced in collaboration with creative agency Lander. The result is a visually stunning fashion film with costumes by Chanel and Haider Ackermann.