New Wave

French New Wave - La Nouvelle Vague 

An artistic movement that had a profound influence upon film and cinema, renowned for 'blurring the lines between art and reality', giving birth to Auteur and evoking the rise of camera style. The movement predominantly consisted of young and vibrant film makers, who added a fresh sense of creativity to the film industry.

New wave first appeared in a sociological investigation of the phenomenon of the post war generation, published in L'Express. This survey involved 8 million French citizens, aged between 18 and 30 who were all asked questions relating to: fashion, morals, values and cultural behavior. Cinema was given a secondary importance and the findings were published in a volume, under the title 'La Nouvelle Vague'.

In the beginning, the guiding principles of French New Wave revolved around a complete rejection of  classical montage-style film making. The best films offered some sort of a personal artistic expression, bearing a stamp of personal authorship. So much so, each film maker was unique and distinct in their creation, however collectively, they compromised one of the most influential movements in cinema history.
The creators of these films, were not necessarily seeking mainstream success, but their work was drew great popularity, becoming critically acclaimed worldwide.



American New Wave -

This movement refers to at least three generations of American film makers. The first emerged during the 1950's in New York. A majority of these films were concerned with realism and depicting an authentic expression of American society at the time.

The second, often called the New Hollywood Generation, rose to prominence during the 60's, bring a new set of values representative of the counter-culture and an aesthetic influenced by the French New Wave.




More recently, in the late 80s and 90s, a new generation of filmmakers working outside the studio system and openly in debt to both the Nouvelle Vague and New Hollywood were awarded the mantle. What all these filmmakers shared in common was a desire to work independently of studio control and a belief in cinema as an art rather than mere entertainment.