Demystification and Webtopia in the Films of Nelly Kaplan

This essay analyzes the utopian world of Nelly Kaplan's films, in which the witty, subversive acts of her heroines become powerful statements in favor of women. Fascinating and horrifying at the same time, the alternatives Kaplan offers to patriarchy are not all that perfect, but her strong characters do reflect the filmmaker's determination to transform the world (Marx) and change life (Rimbaud).