Cold Water

One of the great “lost” pictures of our time is finally getting its first proper release! Few films have captured the energy, rebellion, and turmoil of adolescence as well as Cold Water. Fusing emotional realism with an expressive visual style and following a narrative based on the director’s own teenage years, the film culminates with one of cinema’s greatest party scenes, accompanied by a stellar 1970s soundtrack. Uncleared music rights have kept audiences from discovering this hidden masterpiece by the great Olivier Assayas (Clouds of Sils Maria, Irma Vep), although it did screen once before at the Wex when he visited in 2003 for a retrospective. (92 mins., DCP)