New York slacker and gambler Willie bonds with his young Hungarian cousin Eva, who unexpectedly visits him. When Eva moves in with her aunt in Cleveland, Willie takes his best friend Eddie and follows her for a return visit. However, as in all early Jarmusch films, the plot is not as important as America itself and the people who inhabit it. It's not just about the relationships between these people but also their relationships with the rooms they live in, city streets, suburbs, diners, and highways. In this sense, "Stranger Than Paradise" is a typical representative of No Wave Cinema: a movement in American cinema that emerged in New York in the 1980s. Its essence is the precise and emotional portrayal of the atmosphere of the shooting location, which becomes a full-fledged if not the main character.
Golden Camera for Best Debut at Cannes.
