The film that first made French director Olivier Assayas an international star, Irma Vep (1996), is a breezy but affectionate satire of modern filmmaking featuring Jean-Pierre Léaud as a director who casts Hong Kong superstar Maggie Cheung in a remake of the silent classic Les Vampires. It’s best remembered for the extended sequence in which Cheung, playing herself, tries to get into character by wandering night time Paris in her proposed costume, a rubber catsuit. In this video clip, The Public contributor Ed Grant asks Assayas about his personal fondness for this perennial fetish image.

You can see a restored version of Irma Vep this Thursday, June 21 at 7pm, at Hallwalls. Presented by Cultivate Cinema Circle.