As one of the originators of the French New Wave, Agnès Varda serves as something as an inspiration for this series. Her playful approach to cinematic experimentation helped to break down the looming pretention of her male counterparts and her tenacious presence in the boy’s club of filmmaking at the time served to open doors for many of the women directors in this series. In CLÉO FROM 5 TO 7, Varda’s curious camera follows a singer around Paris as she awaits the results of a biopsy, creating a potent mix of verité street scenes and personal drama. [NH]