Agnès Varda, the Belgian-born French filmmaker who helped define the New Wave movement, has died at 90. The Paris-based director passed away from breast cancer at her home, according to a spokeswoman for her production company Ciné-Tamaris. Varda was widely considered both a feminist icon and cinematic innovator whose career spanned over six decades.

Though often grouped with the New Wave directors like Jean-Luc Godard and François Truffaut, Varda's work actually predated the movement. Her 1955 debut "La Pointe Courte" anticipated the narrative and visual experimentation that would become hallmarks of the French New Wave. She gained wider recognition with films like "Cléo From 5 to 7" (1962) and "Le Bonheur" (1965), which established her reputation as both an emblematic feminist and cinematic firebrand.

In her later years, Varda shifted toward documentary filmmaking, creating acclaimed works like "The Gleaners and I" (2000) and partnering with photographer JR on "Faces Places" (2017), which earned an Academy Award nomination for best documentary feature. The filmmaker, who was married to director Jacques Demy from 1962 until his death in 1990, was honored with an honorary Academy Award in 2017 for lifetime achievement.