The venerable Cannes Film Festival red carpet has rules both spoken and unspoken.
Black-tie is required at night.
Flats are now finallytolerated.
How to Have Sex’s Mia McKenna-Bruce
Men must wear sober tuxedo jackets.
Whether dancing is acceptable is unclear.
The moment demonstrated that the 26-year-old is not only committed but gutsy.
Photo: Courtesy of MUBI
This is also proven in the film itself, which won the festivals top Un Certain Regard prize.
She beams now, thinking back to Cannes.
Vogue: Some might not be familiar with this British rite-of-passage trip.
How would you describe it?
Mia McKenna-Bruce:Its similar to spring break in the US.
Everyone gets super excited about itit seems like this be-all and end-all.
When I was at school, it wasntifyou were going on these holidaysit waswhereyou were going.
Maybe its your first holiday without your parents, so you feel super grown-up.
Youre drinking a lot because youre 18 and its the first time youre allowed to drink.
People dont tend to know their limits.
What was your trip like?
I went to Ibiza, thinking we were being a bit bougie about it.
Molly based the story on real-life holiday experiences and crazy things she saw.
So what drew you to this film, and how would you describe your character?
I have a 16-year-old sister, and I want her to see this.
I can verify she watches it if Im in it.
Its a film I would have loved to have watched at that age.
Tara is desperate to live up to the expectations other people have of her.
She has this really fun energy all the time.
Youve said you see yourself reflected in Tara.
Living up to those expectations and being desperate to just people.
When I was younger, I spent a lot of time away from school because of acting.
I spent six months of the year working and then six months at school.
I saw that in Tara, and that resonated with me.
And did the costumes help you get into character?
You see Taras costume shift as shes trying to impress.
She borrows [her more experienced best friend] Skyes clothes that are quite ill-fitting and uncomfortable on me.
I remember wearing similar thingsbikinis with something see-through over, things that I would never wear in everyday life.
How was Molly Manning Walker as a director?
I completely did because I knew everyone really well.
She gave me this self-belief because she had so much belief in me.
And you worked with an intimacy coordinator.
All the sex scenes were choreographed, so they were as easy as could possibly be.
They were the only scenes throughout the whole film where we knew exactly what we were doing.
Everything else was more of a free-flowing energy.
The film was released in the UK in November.
What have the reactions been?
Its bittersweet too because you realize how common this behavior is.
Hopefully the film breeds more positive sexual experiences for people.
In the middle of all this, you had a baby in August.
I went back to doing press six weeks after I had him.
For me it worked perfectly because this is what I love doing.
How to Have Sexis in New York theaters now.
It opens in LA on February 9, followed by more cities.
