John Smith – The Girl Chewing Gum 1976

The Girl Chewing Gum is a 1976 British short film directed by John Smith. The film is widely acknowledged as one of the most important avant-garde films of the 20th century. The film was inspired by a scene in François Truffaut’s 1973 film Day for Night in which the director gives instructions to the actors, and even tells a dog to urinate on a lamppost. The Girl Chewing Gum was preserved by the Academy Film Archive in 2019.