Wanda, by Barbara Loden Writing by Berenice Reynaud Wanda, 1970

For Wanda

Winner Critics Prize in Venice a critical hit but failed to create excitement at the box ofﬁce 10 years later--forgotten in America but admired in Europe Screened in 1979 Edinburgh Film Festival in 1980 Loden died on Sep 5 80, the day she was supposed to ﬂy to the festival Marion Meade, New York Times 1971

“...Barbara Loden arrives at the crux of the problem, which is, where do you go after you reject the only life society permits? And once a woman gains her freedom, what can she do with it? The answer: nowhere and nothing.” Bonnie and Clyde, Arthur Penn 1967

obvious comparisons “I didn’t care for it because it was unrealistic and it glamorized the characters...People like that would never get into those situations or lead that kind of life-they were too beautiful...Wanda is anti-Bonnie and Clyde” Barbara Loden (b. July 8, 1932

Married to Elia Kazan when she died of cancer at the age of 48 Best known for playing Warren Beatty’s sister in “Splendor in the Grass” (1961 Kazan) fictionalized version of Marilyn Monroe in Kazan's stage production of “After the Fall” The idea of Wanda came from a news article

“a girl who had been an accomplice to a bank robbery and was sentenced to 20 years in prison...When the judge sentenced her, she thanked him.”

It took 6 years to raise the money coming from Harry Shuster “just a friend that they met in Africa.” wasn’t even in ﬁlm

Nicholas T. Proferes (editor and cinematographer) Proferes and DA Pennebaker (Cinema Verite)

# Dont Look Back (1967, ﬁlmed 1965) with Bob Dylan “Free at Last” about Martin Luther King won best doc award at the 1969 Venice Film Festival Traditional Narrative--somewhat old fashioned

“Now I know why people make those so-called avant -garde ﬁlms that jump around from one thing to another without any connection or purpose. Because it’s much easier.” 10 weeks shooting in Connecticut and Pennsylvania crew of 4 people lighting sound technician (Lars Hedman)

Shot in 16mm reversal to make it easier to blow up to 35 shot documentary style with a hand held camera hardly any additional lighting push ﬁlm up to 1000 ASA no storyboard or rehearsals high shooting ratio improvised scenes

Proferes (a great deal of freedom) chance encounters read page 8 after the prize