This introduction outlines Reichardt’s career, from promising indie auteur in the 1990s to a subsequent retreat from the spotlight to a triumphant return in the mid-2000s. The book’s argument is laid out here: chronicling the banal aftermath of crisis rather than its spectacular epicenter, Reichardt’s films establish emergency as an everyday experience. This section also claims that Reichardt focuses on two contemporary emergencies in particular: U.S. economic decline – and the rise of the new class known as “the precariat” – and environmental degradation – especially in the U.S. postindustrial Pacific Northwest. In this way, Reichardt is a filmmaker interested in uniquely American experiences of failure. Finally, this section offers synopses for all the Reichardt works covered in the book, including both feature films and short films.