At the heart of London’s cinematic culture, the Curzon Mayfair Cinema set the stage for the highly anticipated premiere of Autobiografia di una Borsetta, the latest commission for Miu Miu Women’s Tales by acclaimed British auteur Joanna Hogg. The evening was a celebration of artistic freedom and narrative innovation, culminating with an insightful discussion between Hogg and Penny Martin, editor and cultural commentator. Their conversation delved into the film’s evocative perspective, the intersection of fashion and storytelling, and the experimental techniques that define Hogg’s work.
“What is the visual perspective of the handbag? How does the handbag see?”
Set against the sweeping landscapes of Maremma, Italy, Autobiografia di una Borsetta follows an unconventional protagonist: a white Miu Miu Wander bag. Time-worn and weathered, it sits alone on a rock, silently witnessing the world around it. Yet this is no ordinary object—this handbag has a story to tell. From its pristine birth in a factory to its eventual solitude in the rugged countryside, the film invites us to listen as it recounts a life shaped by human touch, shifting through different owners and social spaces. From the opulence of a grand Italian villa to the shadows of urban peripheries, the bag’s journey unveils a poignant portrait of contemporary Italy. Subverting traditional cinematic norms, in Hogg’s narration the bag is more than just an accessory, it is observer and storyteller becoming a mirror to human experiences — joy, love, loss, and resilience.
Joanna Hogg’s directorial vision for Autobiografia di una Borsetta is as radical as it is poetic. Inspired by John David Rhodes and Elena Gorfinkel’s book The Prop — which explores the role of objects in cinema — Hogg reimagines the visual language of storytelling. “What is the handbag’s perspective? How does it see the world? What if it sees like an insect?” These questions led her to adopt an ultra-wide lens that captures a world in which humans — with all the roles played by a non-actor cast — exist in the background, while the handbag remains the central figure. The film was shot using four iPhones 16, a bold choice that allowed for an unprecedented agility in capturing the bag’s journey. Hogg’s approach fuses naturalism and magic surrealism, creating an immersive experience where a simple object takes on emotional depth.

“When working in television at times I really felt like I had my hands tied behind my back. Whether economically rewarding somehow I felt I was not really expressing myself. Working on films allowed me to express my full creative potential.”
Autobiografia di una Borsetta marks the 29th episode of Miu Miu Women’s Tales, a groundbreaking series that champions female filmmakers and their diverse artistic perspectives. Launched over fifteen years ago, the initiative has become the longest-running platform of its kind, inviting some of the most visionary women in cinema to craft narratives that redefine femininity. What sets the project apart is its uncompromising creative liberty. Each director is given complete freedom to explore femininity in the 21st century, embracing its contradictions and complexities. From power and desire to vanity and vulnerability, the series has become a cultural lens through which contemporary womanhood is examined. With luminaries like Ava DuVernay, Maggie Gyllenhaal, and Catherine Martin guiding the project’s evolution, Miu Miu continues to foster an ecosystem where storytelling and style intersect in compelling ways. In Miuccia Prada words: “a conversation with women about women.”
Following its London premiere, the film will be available globally on MUBI starting February 23rd, 2025, allowing a wider audience to experience Hogg’s unique storytelling.
