The energy and momentum of youth have been longtime themes for five-time Oscar-nominated filmmaker Richard Linklater, from Before Sunrise (1994) to Boyhood (2014). Now, with Nouvelle Vague, the director turns his camera back 60 years to a pivotal moment in cinema, to a time when the creative imagination and experimentation of young people in Paris led to a new way of making films: the birth of the French New Wave.

FROM NETFLIX TUDUM:

Nouvelle Vague is Linklater’s love letter to the revolutionary magic of the French New Wave, reimagining the making of Jean-Luc Godard’s Breathless (1960), which cemented Godard’s place as a pioneer of global cinema. As critic-turned-director Godard makes and breaks the rules, a mix of fresh faces and daring talents bring his spontaneous, electric film to life. Capturing the youthful dynamism and creative chaos at the heart of one of the world’s most beloved and influential movies, Nouvelle Vague transports us to the streets of 1959 Paris for an ode to the transformative power of cinema.

“I once said that any filmmaker who has been working for a while should, at some point in their career, make a film about the process of making a film. It’s only natural to want to explore this complex and all-consuming subject to which we dedicate our passion and creativity. But what is the right approach? How do you find the right tone? Is it even possible to do better than Day for Night? Probably not.”

“Over the years, my thoughts always brought me back to the time I made my first feature that involved a lot of other people — to that absolute joy of finally being able to condense years of cinematic ideas and obsessions into a movie. It’s an experience you can only live once, of course. No one is ever truly prepared for the physical and mental battles that come with it: the clash between overwhelming confidence and deep insecurity due to inexperience, the boundless passion that is tested daily by the instability of a job involving so many people, each with their own personalities and needs.”

“When Jean-Luc Godard passed away two years ago, I thought to myself: “Maybe it’s time to make this film that’s been percolating for more than a decade; this portrait of that singular moment — the birth of the New Wave.” This love letter to those who made you want to make films, who made you believe you could make films, who convinced you that you should make films — and, by the way, what are you waiting for?”

Richard Linkletter in Netflix Tudum September 24, 2025