In the years before Ronald Reagan took office, Manhattan was in ruins. But true art has never come from comfort, and it was precisely those dire circumstances that inspired artists like Jim Jarmusch, Lizzy Borden, and Amos Poe to produce some of their best works. Taking their cues from punk rock and new wave music, these young maverick filmmakers confronted viewers with a stark reality that stood in powerful contrast to the escapist product being churned out by Hollywood.
Direction
Danhier weaves archival chaos into something surprisingly cohesive.
Editing
Jagged, punk-rock cutting that mirrors its subjects' filmmaking.
Production
Incredible access to decaying 70s Manhattan footage.
Director
Celine Danhier
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
The 'No Wave' movement deliberately rejected everything — even the French New Wave it name-checked. These filmmakers would rather fail interestingly than succeed conventionally.
Many of the films discussed were literally shot on stolen 16mm stock. Amos Poe's 'The Blank Generation' was edited in his apartment with a rewinder made from a bicycle wheel.
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