The Girl Chewing Gum

A groundbreaking, if enigmatic, work of avant-garde cinema, "The Girl Chewing Gum" (1976) subverts traditional notions of filmmaking by having its director seemingly instruct everyday objects at Stamford Road in east London, blurring the lines between reality and control. This 1970s experiment in postmodernism continues to be celebrated as a landmark of the genre, with its influence still felt today. By appropriating the style of François Truffaut's "Day for Night", John Smith's film presents a bold challenge to mainstream cinema's conventions.