The series opens with Smithereens, a vibrant time capsule of the gritty East Village and its young Eighties punk scene, directed by Susan Seidelman—an iconic figure in New York’s female filmmaking movement. Wild teen Wren (Susan Berman) trades New Jersey for New York City, hoping to immerse herself in what remains of punk culture. She falls in with fellow transplant Paul (Brad Rijn), but he’s too safe for her tastes, which lean toward narcissistic rockers. She finds one in Eric (punk icon Richard Hell), who’s about to cut a record in Los Angeles. Wren plans to follow him west—only to discover that devotion to the wrong idol comes at a steep cost.

Celebrated on release and selected for competition at the Palme d’Or, Smithereens stands as one of America’s foundational indie films, capturing a moment just before independent cinema—and punk itself—slipped into legend.