That Viral 'First Kiss' Video Looks a Lot Like This 1990 Short Film

After discovering that viral ‘Strangers Making Out’ video was actually an ad full of models and other handsome types, perhaps you wondered what a less commercial alternative might look like. Wonder no more! Here is a short film from 1990 that’s practically the same idea, except starring actual couples.

Le Baiser (“The Kiss”), which showed at Cannes, was directed by Pascale Ferran, who is best known for her 2007 adaptation of Lady Chatterley’s Lover. It looks like the resemblance was first spotted by French magazine Brain. There are key differences, though—Ferran’s version includes real couples, not strangers, and there’s no sugary indie soundtrack. The tone is more cheeky than “sweet,” too, and the mouth noises are very, very loud. Uncomfortably loud, even!

The creators of “First Kiss” have cited Richard Avedon’s photos of kissing couples as their inspiration, so who knows if they’ve even seen La Baiser. But it sure makes for an interesting side-by-side comparison between a marketing vehicle and an actual short film.