Stranger than Paradise

1984
Dir. by Jim Jarmusch
With John Lurie, Eszter Balint, and Richard Edson
75 min, 35mm

Jarmusch’s second feature-length film, “Stanger Than Paradise” would launch both Jarmusch and No Wave Cinema into the international spotlight when it premiered at the Cannes Film Festival, and won the Caméra d’Or prize. 

Following a self-styled New York hipster who is paid a surprise visit by his pretty 16-year-old Hungarian cousin, “Stranger than Paradise” examines the duo’s initial hostility and indifference that transitions into a strange affection between two exiles.

Continuing on to win the Golden Leopard at the 1984 Locarno International Film Festival, the Special Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival, and National Society of Film Critics Award for Best Picture “Stranger than Paradise” captures not only the spirit of New York City in the 1980s but also the talent and vision of a burgeoning American cinematic voice.