1958

Francis Thompson spent eight years working on N.Y., N.Y., perhaps his most famous film. It is a collection of images of New York City that he captured using special lenses, prisms, and mirrors. N.Y., N.Y. thus becomes a hall of mirrors with a cubist-Dadaist feel that offers a new perspective on the cityscape. The film was awarded the Golden Palm for best short film. 

Before Jean-Luc Godard and François Truffaut ended their friendship due to an unfortunate conflict, they collaborated on the short film Une histoire d’eau, which in many ways beautifully encapsulates the unique energy of the Nouvelle Vague. 

In this saturated film, Varda captures 1950s tourism on the Côte d'Azur: clear skies, burning sun, and cheeky parasols. A touristic tour on the French Riviera’s exoticism, full of captivating imagery, bathed in an atmosphere of nostalgia. Characteristic of Varda’s idiosyncratic style, the glorifying postcards come with some quips, hinting at the end of summer and the loss of such a tourist paradise.