A WOMAN UNDER THE INFLUENCE.

This article examines the cinematic influences on filmmaker Stephanie Rothman, highlighting her inspiration from European arthouse directors and mid-century Hollywood auteurs. Rothman drew from Jean Cocteau's films for their mystical and dreamlike qualities, Ingmar Bergman's *The Seventh Seal* for its existential themes, and Douglas Sirk's melodramas for their subversive social critiques of gender and class. Additionally, Jean Renoir's *La Règle du jeu* influenced her ensemble storytelling style, blending humor, drama, and political commentary. These diverse influences shaped Rothman's feminist and socially conscious approach to filmmaking, particularly evident in her sexploitation films such as *The Student Nurses* and *The Working Girls*.