The Cannes Film Festival and Netflix have not always had a smooth relationship, but Richard Linklater’s latest film is headed to the streamer following its Cannes premiere. Nouvelle Vague, which is largely in French, chronicles the making of Jean-Luc Godard’s film Breathless, one of the most important films ever made and a hallmark of the French New Wave.
It’s an ironic twist for a movie about a foundational moment in the history of cinema, in part because we don’t know whether the film will get a theatrical release other than the mandatory two-week window required for awards consideration.
“It means so much for us to be here tonight. Over a year ago we were filming right here,” Linklater said at the premiere, per Variety. “And we all said: ‘Wouldn’t it be amazing if we could end up here showing our movie. It would be crazy to be here.’ And here we are! Cinema is magic. It meant so much to us to try and recreate the time and place. It means so much in film history, and it meant so much to each cast member, every crew member. Everybody worked so hard to try and get it right and recreate this moment. And thank you for this moment.”
Netflix has never shied away from acquiring titles from big directors, even if it means that those movies don’t necessarily get the theatrical releases their directors might want. Nouvelle Vague will hit Netflix this year, but whether it arrives in theaters for any extended amount of time remains unclear.