Cinema // After: The 400 Blows

The 400 Blows

Antoine Doinel is restless, misunderstood, and always in trouble. From the streets of Paris to the walls of reform school, François Truffaut’s debut The 400 Blows captures adolescence with honesty, rebellion, and raw emotion. More than just a coming-of-age story, it became a defining work of the French New Wave, a movement that tore down the rules of traditional cinema and changed the art form forever.

After the screening, we’ll stay in the cinema for a Cinema // After session led by Let’s Make Films. Together, we’ll explore how Truffaut blurred the line between autobiography and fiction, and how his choices in location, camera movement, and performance created such an authentic portrait of youth. We’ll also look at why The 400 Blows became a cornerstone of the French New Wave, and how the film’s rebellious energy can inspire our own approaches to storytelling today.

Cinema // After is a…