Atsushi Nishijima has photographed some of the biggest films of the past decade, capturing actors and crew members in between takes, sometimes at sensitive, stressful moments.

From gritty urban dramas like Taxi Driver to groundbreaking sci-fi such as A New Hope, these are some of the most influential 1970s films.

Though there are plenty of serious subjects among the selections at this year's South by Southwest, which begins Thursday night, even the festival's own programmers were surprised to find how ...