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If you lived through the '90s, Chloë Sevigny holds a sweet spot in your heart. Whether it was as the short-haired teen Jennie in the controversial 1995 film Kids, or her appearance in Sonic Youth's "Sugar Kane" music video, Sevigny was just one of those young women bold enough to ditch school, hang in the East Village, and wear jelly shoes before it was ever a thing.
Kids catapulted Sevigny past her NYC "It Girl" persona — a reputation given to her by Jay McInerney in the November 7, 1994 issue of The New Yorker — and into an indie film star, eventually landing her an Academy Award nomination for the 1999 film Boys Don't Cry. She has seamlessly transitioned herself from indie darling to mainstream actress and then straight into television powerhouse. Sevigny received a Golden Globe for her portrayal of Nicolette Grant in the HBO original series Big Love. She has captured the episodic audience ever since with her roles in Louie, Portlandia, American Horror Story, and Bloodline.
Though Sevigny is known for her acting career, modeling prowess, and New York style, she is officially adding director to her résumé with her directorial debut of the film Kitty — based on the 1980 short story by Paul Bowles. The short film follows a period of a young girl's life as she turns into a cat.
The physical transformation in the film resonates emotionally as young women are often times not fully heard. As Sevigny told R29 earlier this year of her own experience as a young actress, “I guess I felt misunderstood in a lot of ways," she said. "Of course I was always heard, having been in the public eye. People always want you to say more, but it was almost like I wanted to hide more as a result. People wanted me to speak as a voice of a generation, and I had no interest in doing that. I didn’t want that responsibility.”
Enjoy the full film for Kitty above.
Women accounted for only 13% of the directors on the 700 top grossing films in 2014 — and only 7% of the top 250 films. Refinery29 wants to change this by giving 12 female directors a chance to claim their power. Our message to Hollywood? You can't win without women. Watch new films every month on Refinery29.com/Shatterbox and Comcast Watchable.