The Favourite director Yorgos Lanthimos and Droga5 have made a short film for Mini, with no Minis

As the lines between roles and sectors blur into one giant Pangea of a creative industry, this first project from Droga5’s Mini account acts as a beacon for such changes. Since being appointed the car brand’s global ad agency in 2018, Droga5 hasn’t made an advert, but a short film titled Nimic, featuring not a single Mini. It has also worked with one of the most lauded directors currently in Hollywood, Yorgos Lanthimos, whose past works include The Favourite, The Lobster and The Killing Of A Sacred Deer.

The surreal 12-minute film was written by Lanthimos with longtime collaborator Efthymis Filippou, and stars actors Matt Dillon, Daphne Patakia and Susan Elle, telling the story of a professional cellist who encounters something on the subway which has unexpected ramifications on his life. “Living firmly in Lanthimos’ unique cinematic universe,” Droga5 explains in a statement, “the film asks questions about identity, perception, relationships and circularity.”

Lanthimos says of the film: “I was glad to be given the opportunity to work on a shorter format that can be sometimes challenging but quite rewarding. We developed a script starting from a very intriguing initial idea and concept, and enjoyed great creative freedom during the realisation of the film. It is always very exciting to be invited to think outside the box and wrestle with stimulating ideas.”

Nimic premiered on 9 August at Locarno Film Festival, Switzerland, open until 17 August 2019 – watch the trailer below. Droga5 hopes to screen the film at further international festivals throughout the year.