With the recent passing of Anna Karina, the French New Wave has lost one of its founding figures and most iconic protagonists. Revisit the main titles of Anna Karina’s career in 3 films
Pierrot le Fou
Jean-Luc Godard, 1965
In this deconstructed “Bonne and Clyde” type tale, Karina portrays Marianne, the daughter of a business tycoon who flees to the south of France after participating in a murder. Along with her lover/accomplice Pierrot (the one and only Jean-Paul Belmondo), she hides on an island, dances and sings in what is probably her most iconic part.
Alphaville
Jean-Luc Godard, 1965
A love letter from her then-lover Jean-Luc Godard, Alphaville is a sci-fi tale in which Karina plays Natacha von Braun. Wandering in a stylized Paris disguised as a futuristic metropolis, she delivers a vibrant, influential performance.
The Nun
Jacques Rivette, 1966
This adaptation of a classic by Diderot, directed by another New Wave pioneer, is Karina’s most significant part outside the realm of the ‘Jean-Luc Godard Extended Universe’. In this striking period piece, she is Suzanne, a newcomer to a convent. Banned from the French screens for a year before getting a X-rating, this film remains a classic, and people still praise Anna Karina’s impressive acting.
Bonus: This bio-video made in 2016 includes clips from her most famous films.