Classics: Wanda

Once a rarely screened cult film, Wanda is now regarded as a classic of feminist cinema. This film by actress and filmmaker Barbara Loden centers on a divorced mother who wanders aimlessly through life. Loden plays the lead role and was responsible for both the screenplay and direction. It would remain her first and only feature film.

The film was well-received at international festivals and won, among other awards, the Best Foreign Language Film at the Venice Film Festival. Wanda impresses as a portrait of a woman who has little control over her life and becomes increasingly dependent on the wrong men, including a bank robber.

In 2010, the film was meticulously restored based on the original 16mm negative and a 35mm copy. Since then, appreciation for Wanda has grown as an important work in American feminist film history, made by a filmmaker who deserves just as much recognition as her male contemporaries from New Hollywood.