Platonic desire morphs into a sinister force in Altman’s 1977 3 Women. Set against a droning Californian landscape, newcomer Pinky’s (Sissy Spacek) admiration for new colleague Millie (Shelley Duvall) soon mutates into a disquieting obsession as boundaries begin to blur and identities begin to dissolve. Altman claims this foray into surrealism came to him in a dream, and 3 Women certainly unfolds with an ungraspable, soporific logic.

3 Women is screening as part of Women in Flux, presented in association with the National Film and Television School’s Film Studies, Programming and curation MA.
 

Clint Eastwood’s 1971 directorial debut is defined by female obsession. Evelyn Draper’s (Jessica Walter) innocent crush on a radio jockey, Dave (Eastwood) soon spirals into a dangerous, possessive desire for control. Play Misty for Me explores when desire turns deadly – the thin line between romantic infatuation, and psychological unravelling.

Play Misty for Me is screening as part of Women in Flux, presented in association with the National Film and Television School’s Film Studies, Programming and curation MA.

Barbara Loden’s first and only feature film as a director is a portrait of a woman adrift. Set against the stark industrial backdrop of eastern Pennsylvania, Wanda (Loden) passively detaches from her domestic life, falling into a bleak partnership with a petty criminal. Shot in grainy 16mm, Wanda is a landmark of American independent cinema.

Wanda is screening as part of Women in Flux, presented in association with the National Film and Television School’s Film Studies, Programming and curation MA.

They Shoot Horses, Don’t They highlights desire as a completely debilitating force when rooted in economic survival. Featuring an ensemble cast, including Jane Fonda and Michael Sarrazin, the film chronicles contestants competing in a gruelling dance marathon, set against the backdrop of the Great Depression. Sydney Pollack’s rarely screened masterpiece highlights how far people are willing to go when desperation eclipses dignity.

They Shoot Horses, Don’t They is screening as part of Women in Flux, presented in association with the National Film and Television School’s Film Studies, Programming and curation MA.