Romanian-American filmmaker Natalie Musteață won the Oscar for Best Live Action Short Film on Sunday night in Los Angeles for the dystopian short Two People Exchanging Saliva, which she co-directed with Alexandre Singh. In a rare moment, the 36-minute French-language film shared the award with The Singers, directed by Sam A. Davis and Jack Piatt, after the vote ended in a tie, Agerpres reported.

The prize was presented during the 98th edition of the Academy Awards.

Two People Exchanging Saliva is a dystopian short film exploring themes of intimacy, identity, and human connection in an imagined future. The film stood out among this year’s nominees in the short film category for its unconventional narrative and visual style. 

Natalie Musteață and Singh took the stage together to receive the award. Speaking to reporters afterwards, as reported by the BBC, Musteață described the moment as a dream come true, saying: “It’s such a dream.”

Born in Romania, Natalie Musteață built her career in the United States, where she now lives and works in New York City, according to Urban.ro. Before turning to filmmaking, she worked as a researcher and curator of contemporary art. She holds a PhD in art history and spent years in academic and museum environments, organizing exhibitions and studying the relationship between art, language, and society.

The ceremony also saw One Battle After Another named Best Picture at the 98th Academy Awards, winning six Oscars in total. The film Sinners, which received the most nominations, took home four awards, including Best Actor for Michael B. Jordan, while Frankenstein won three prizes.

The full list of winners is available here.

irina.marica@romania-insider.com

(Photo source: Facebook/The Academy)