Independent cinema was invented as both a style and a movement in the 1980′s by auteurs such as David Lynch, Jim Jarmusch, Joel and Ethan Coen, and David Cronenberg. Though diverse in their approaches, these filmmakers all had in common the goal of artistic independence: they financed their own projects, utilized emerging technology (such as handheld cameras) and drew on the traditions of world cinema and pulp movies for inspiration.
Lynch and Cronenberg depicted visionary, alternative realities, while Jarmusch pioneered a deadpan, low-key style that focused on seemingly commonplace individuals (more…)