French New Wave Surges in Scottsdale
Birthed in France, the French New Wave – La Nouvelle Vague – is one of the most influential moments in cinematic history. The term describes the work of French filmmakers of the late 1950s and 1960s, known for their rejection of the literary period pieces being made in France, their desire to shoot more current social issues on location and their intention of experimenting with the film form.
Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts will present a sample of the New Wave movement with a screening of Pierrot le Fou on Wed., Feb. 1, as part of its 2016–17 Discovery Series exploring the arts and culture of France. The 1965 French film starring Anna Karina and Jean-Paul Belmondo, was directed by Jean-Luc Godard, one of the leading auteurs of the movement. Pierrot (Jean-Paul Belmondo), recently fired from his job at a TV broadcasting company, escapes his boring society and travels from Paris to the Mediterranean Sea with Marianne (Anna Karina), a girl chased by hit-men from Algeria. They lead an unorthodox life, always on the run.
The screening will be followed by a panel discussion moderated by Los Angeles filmmaker and director Morgan Evans on the influence of the French New Wave within culture at large. The panel includes Phoenix Art Museum’s Jacquie Dorrance Curator of Fashion Design Dennita Sewell, owner of Black Cat Vintage Claudine Villardito, Phoenix-based artist Sloane McFarland, and Foreign Film Professor at Arizona State University Jason Scott.
Nouvelle Vague – French Cinema and Culture
Screening (two-hour film) followed by panel discussion
Feb. 1, 6 p.m.
Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts (Stage 2), 7380 E. Second St., Scottsdale
