After shooting an iconic moment in which Moreno kidnaps Irma Vep, René faces backlash over the scene's sexual implications. Unwilling to waver, René cites attempted censorship of 1916's The Vampires - and original Irma Vep's courageous fight to keep her film alive. Meanwhile, Mira deals with complex emotions as she sinks deeper into her character.
Mira is an American movie star disillusioned by her career and a recent breakup, who comes to France to star as 'Irma Vep' in a remake of the French silent film classic, Les Vampires. Set against the backdrop of a lurid crime thriller, Mira struggles as the distinctions between herself and the character she plays begin to blur and merge. Irma Vep reveals to us the uncertain ground that lies at the border of fiction and reality, artifice and authenticity, art and life.