It has been considered the last great cinematic revolution that had an impact on all aspects of filmmaking, including production and creative background, organisational structure, use of technologies, artistic expression and even narrated stories. It was mainly triggered by an increasing number of difficulties which, economically, after thirty years of smooth operation, turned the proverbial dream factory into a sinking ship, while the band was still playing on the upper deck.

It was a time of massive social change, political turmoil and heated emotions that found their way to the big screen. Films started to feature protagonists from overlooked social classes and ethnic groups, screens were pervaded with images of contemporary everyday life, common people’s concerns and echoes of conflicts in the outside world. Gone were costly musicals, biblical epics or soulless comedies.

During this relatively short period of time, studios produced a number of films that withstood the ravages of decades with no significant harm, so we can remind some of them even fifty years later: iconic road movie with an unforgettable soundtrack Easy Rider (1969), masterful black comedy Harold and Maude (1971) or chilling allegory Deliverance (1972). And we will also look at some less famous but equally remarkable films, such as wicked romantic comedy The Heartbreak Kid (1972).