ucci , ▁the ▁film ▁was ▁restored ▁by ▁the ▁U CLA ▁Film ▁& ▁Television ▁Archive ▁and ▁screen ed ▁at ▁the ▁Museum ▁of ▁Modern ▁Art ▁in ▁Manh attan . ▁ ▁Although ▁W anda ▁never ▁received ▁proper ▁distribution , ▁screen ing ▁briefly ▁in ▁New ▁York ▁and ▁at ▁univers ities ▁but ▁never ▁nation ally ▁on ▁the ▁the ater ▁circuit , ▁it ▁was ▁noted ▁for ▁its ▁ground bre aking ▁anti - Hol lywood ▁view ▁of ▁a ▁woman ▁ad rift ▁in ▁the ▁American ▁under world . ▁L oden ▁said ▁of ▁her ▁title ▁character , ▁" She ' s ▁trying ▁to ▁get ▁out ▁of ▁this ▁very ▁ugly ▁type ▁of ▁existence , ▁but ▁she ▁doesn ' t ▁have ▁the ▁equipment " — an ▁independent - mind ed ▁idea ▁for ▁a ▁cin ematic ▁hero ine ▁at ▁the ▁time , ▁making ▁W anda ▁an ▁anti - h ero ine . ▁ ▁Death ▁In ▁ 1 9 7 8 , ▁L oden ▁was ▁diagn osed ▁with ▁breast ▁cancer . ▁At ▁the ▁time , ▁she ▁had ▁completed ▁several ▁other ▁screen plays ▁with ▁Pro fer es ▁that ▁Kaz an ▁described ▁as ▁" dev oted ▁to ▁the ▁neglect ed ▁side ▁of ▁American ▁life ." ▁She ▁and ▁Kaz an ▁were ▁est r anged ▁at ▁the ▁time ▁of ▁her ▁cancer ▁diagn osis ▁and ▁planning ▁to ▁divor ce , ▁but ▁her ▁ill ness ▁pre cluded ▁their ▁separation . ▁ ▁At ▁the ▁time ▁of ▁her ▁diagn osis , ▁L oden ▁was ▁prepared ▁to ▁direct ▁a ▁feature ▁about ▁Kate ▁Ch op in ' s ▁The ▁Aw ak ening , ▁but ▁her ▁cancer