Smithereens follows the obnoxious Wren (Susan Berman) and her East Village cohorts as she tries to find a way to join the punk scene in LA. Soundtracked by the Feelies, she meets characters played by Richard Hell and Chris Noth, in an early film role.
Susan Seidelman spent a couple of years making her feature debut, a truly indie production in that she produced, directed, edited, and co-wrote the script. It was a real labor of love. In 1982, it became the first American indie film to compete for the Palme d’Or at Cannes. In the past few years, thanks to streaming, Smithereens has found a new audience. It’s a precursor to Desperately Seeking Susan (1985), another Seidelman film—albeit with a higher budget—that encapsulated the ‘80s NYC punk scene with a focus on female identity. Because of the similar themes and cast, it’s fitting the two films will be shown over two nights.