Kendall Jenner has become the latest member of the Kardashian family to show an interest in acting, appearing in the style of a star of 1960s Italian cinema in a new short film, La Passeggiata.
Jenner, 30, a successful fashion model, even narrates the film, which serves as the cover story for the September issue of film magazine A Rabbit’s Foot.
The move is all the more intriguing considering Jenner’s romance with Australian actor Jacob Elordi – the couple have been dating since this spring and were first spotted together in April. She is currently in Venice for the film festival.
Elordi, the star of films such as Priscilla and Frankenstein, has been nominated for an Oscar and has a chance to become the next James Bond.
It seems the whole family is turning to acting, of course becoming famous through a number of reality TV series.
Her sister Kylie – a makeup mogul – is dating actor Timothee Chalamet and has appeared as a heightened version of herself in a film, the Charli XCX mockumentary The Moment.
Kendall Jenner has become the latest member of the Kardashian family to show an interest in acting, appearing in the style of a star of 1960s Italian cinema in a short film, La Passeggiata
Older sister Kim has appeared in a number of films and a (panned) TV show in which she played a lawyer.
Directed and written by Fatima Khan, creative director of A Rabbit’s Foot, the Kendall Jenner film is inspired by the Italian ritual of La Passeggiata, an early evening walk, brought to Los Angeles, where Jenner lives.
Borrowing from the visual language of 1960s Italian cinema, the film is an arthouse meditation on “watching and being watched,” with Jenner playing an actress at a funeral, walking down the street and in a fashion studio.
Writer and director Fatima Khan says: ‘Kendall has been one of the most photographed women in the world for almost two decades, so I wanted to play with that reality rather than hide it.’
The film ends with Kendall saying, “Because movement leaves room for mystery.” Khan says, “This really became the thesis of the whole piece, this idea of a gap between being seen and actually being understood.”
In an interview accompanying the photos, Jenner tells the publication, “Celebrity feels constant these days. There is very little space between what is public and what is personal. That’s the difference between being watched and being truly understood.
‘Of course people look at you when someone sees you. Being understood means someone looking into you – who you are. Being recognized doesn’t necessarily mean that people actually know who you are, the person. That’s a big misconception.’
She adds, “As an outsider, I have always been fascinated by cinema. Especially the extraordinary amount of collaboration it takes to create stories that will stay with you for a long time. From being a little girl and rushing home to watch movies to how, as someone who hasn’t seen them all yet, but is inspired to try.
Jenner, 30, a successful fashion model, even narrates the film, which serves as the cover story for the September issue of film magazine A Rabbit’s Foot
Directed and written by Fatima Khan, creative director of A Rabbit’s Foot, the film is inspired by the Italian ritual of La Passeggiata.
Borrowing from the visual language of 1960s Italian cinema, the film is an arthouse meditation on “seeing and being watched,” with Jenner playing an actress.
“I think everyone should see Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind at least once. And Paul Thomas Anderson’s Magnolia is a film that really stays with me.’
She continues: ‘My internal monologue sometimes sounds like a line from the movie. One is from Moulin Rouge! – the last line of Ewan McGregor’s character Christian.
“The best thing you will ever learn is to simply love and be loved in return.” (This, in turn, is the character who quotes from the 1948 song Nature Boy.) Another is, “I’m not lonely. I’m alone.’
“Fame has really taught me to protect and value my privacy. Sometimes I take a walk through nature to feel anonymous again. When it comes to the ‘look’, I’m happiest with my own look – I just want to be happy with myself.’
‘What do people misunderstand about me? How much time do we have? Short answer: my sensitivity. Life is actually very long – it pays to be kind.
‘I’m quite hard on myself. The best advice I received was to give myself grace in whatever comes in life.”
“We’re all just doing our best and having a human experience. Everything ends up where it is intended. My loved ones constantly remind me of that.’
