This week’s special two-part episode spotlights a pair of upcoming must-see programs in New York City. In the first half, Devika and Clint chat with critic, scholar, and former Cahiers du cinema editor Jean-Michel Frodon, who has curated a revelatory series for the Museum of Modern Art: “Forgotten Filmmakers of the French New Wave.” In an enlightening conversation, Jean-Michel tells us about the origins and mutations of the term “nouvelle vague,” the influence of the Algerian War and anti-colonial movements in that period, the intermixing of documentary and fiction in New Wave practice, and more.

In the second part of the episode, Devika and Clint interview Inney Prakash, the founder of Prismatic Ground, a new festival for experimental documentary. Inney began Prismatic Ground last year amid the upheavals of the pandemic as an attempt to reimagine film festivals from a more radical, ethical, and global perspective. Inney discusses his curatorial philosophy, why it was important for him to make the festival streamable for free worldwide, and some highlights from this year’s hybrid program, including The Afterlight by Charlie Shackleton, Declarations of Love by Tiff Rekem, and Squish! by Tulapop Saenjaroen.

Links & Things

Forgotten Filmmakers of the French New Wave at MoMA
The World of Jia Zhangke, published by Film Desk Books
Afrique sur Seine (Mamadou Sarr, Paulin Soumanou Vieyra, 1995)
Un steack trop cuit (Luc Mollet, 1960)
La première nuit (Georges Franju, 1958)
Prismatic Ground at Maysles Documentary Center, Museum of the Moving Image, Anthology Film Archives, and online
The Afterlight (Charlie Shackleton, 2022)
Squish! (Tulapop Saenjaroen, 2022)
Declarations of Love (Tiff Rekem, 2022)
Nuclear Family (Travis and Erin Wilkerson, 2021)
Lake Forest Park (Kersti Jan Werdal, 2022)
Prismatic Ground Presents on Criterion Channel