▁her ▁own ▁movie . ▁Enc ou rag ed , ▁she ▁wrote ▁the ▁screen play ▁for ▁W anda . ▁The ▁story , ▁an ▁exist ential ▁rum ination ▁on ▁a ▁pover ty - str icken ▁woman ▁ad rift ▁in ▁Pennsylvania ▁coal ▁country , ▁did ▁not ▁attract ▁any ▁potential ▁direct ors , ▁including ▁Kaz an , ▁so ▁L oden ▁directed ▁it ▁herself , ▁in ▁collaboration ▁with ▁cinemat ograph er ▁and ▁editor ▁Nicholas ▁T . ▁Pro fer es , ▁on ▁a ▁me ager ▁budget ▁of ▁$ 1 1 5 , 0 0 0 . ▁ ▁W anda ▁is ▁a ▁semi - aut obi ographical ▁portrait ▁of ▁a ▁" pass ive , ▁dis connected ▁coal ▁min er ' s ▁wife ▁who ▁attach es ▁herself ▁to ▁a ▁pet ty ▁cro ok ." ▁In nov ative ▁in ▁its ▁cinéma ▁vérit é ▁and ▁impro vis ational ▁style , ▁it ▁was ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁few ▁American ▁films ▁directed ▁by ▁a ▁woman ▁to ▁be ▁the atr ically ▁released ▁at ▁that ▁time . ▁Film ▁critic ▁David ▁Thom son ▁wrote , ▁" W anda ▁is ▁full ▁of ▁unexpected ▁moments ▁and ▁raw ▁atmosphere , ▁never ▁sett ling ▁for ▁cl ich é ▁in ▁situation ▁or ▁character ." ▁The ▁film ▁was ▁the ▁only ▁American ▁film ▁accepted ▁by ▁the ▁Ven ice ▁Film ▁Festival ▁in ▁ 1 9 7 0 , ▁where ▁it ▁won ▁the ▁International ▁Crit ics ' ▁Prize , ▁and ▁the ▁only ▁American ▁film ▁presented ▁at ▁the ▁ 1 9 7 1 ▁C annes ▁Film ▁Festival . ▁In ▁ 2 0 1 0 , ▁with ▁support ▁from ▁G