Give Me the Backstory: Get to Know Bill Condon, the Writer-Director Behind Kiss of the Spider Woman

By Jessica Herndon

One of the most exciting things about the Sundance Film Festival is having a front-row seat for the bright future of independent filmmaking. While we can learn a lot about the filmmakers from the 2025 Sundance Film Festival through the art that these storytellers share with us, there's always more we can learn about them as people. We decided to get to the bottom of those artistic wells with our ongoing series: Give Me the Backstory!

If there is one thing to know about writer-director Bill Condon, it's that he likes to keep a low profile, even with a new project starring Jennifer Lopez and Diego Luna. I hate having any kind of spotlight pointed in my direction, says the veteran filmmaker, whose latest feature, Kiss of the Spider Woman, will debut in the Premieres section of the 2025 Sundance Film Festival. Leave that to the folks who enjoy it! But, it's hard not to once again sing the praises of the director who debuted Gods and Monsters at the Fest in 1998 and later gave us Kinsey and Dreamgirls, considering he deserves his flowers for the dreamy Kiss of the Spider Woman.

Derived from the stage musical that is based on Manuel Puig's 1976 novel of the same name, Condon's adaptation breathes new life into this story. Following Valent n (Diego Luna), a revolutionary, and Molina (Tonatiuh), who was imprisoned for public indecency, as they forge an unlikely bond in prison, the film weaves a vivid tale of identity, resilience, and connection against the backdrop of Argentina's Dirty War. As Molina recounts a fantastical Hollywood musical starring Ingrid Luna, portrayed by Lopez, the prisoners' relationship deepens. It feels as if it's taken 50 years for the world to catch up to Puig, particularly the way he framed issues of gender and sexuality against a larger political backdrop, Condon notes of the story's timelessness.

Below, he discusses the casting process for Kiss of the Spider Woman, a moment during the film's production that had him in awe, and the artists that inspire him.

LINK:	https://www.sundance.org/blogs/give-me-the-backstory-get-to-know-bill-...
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