Avant Garde

Avant Garde, being French for "A head of the crowd" also referred to as experimental film is a type of film created by film makers who wish to experiment with "new ideas, forms, techniques and expression". In some ways they could even be compared to being the short films eqivialent of French New Waves 'La Nouvelle Vague', this is by trying to be innovative in their ideas and experimental process of making a film. Avant Garde filming is seen as experimental, expressionistic art work which in some cases could be viewed in exhibitions. Political, sexual and other views were also the inspirations of some Avant Garde films. Laura Mulvey's writing and film making constantly reflected the American society of post WW2.




In 1929 artist Salvidor Dali and Luis Bunuel created a thought provoking set of images to create an experimental art form piece. Raising the profile for Arthouse, Avant Garde film making.

Salvidor Dali


Avant Garde films grew with the success of a film by Maya Deren and Alexander Hammid, called "The Meshes in The Afternoon" with its sucess in 1943, it established a model of what experimental cinema could do.
Meshes