Legendary French filmmaker Agnès Varda has never really crossed over into Hollywood. The Oscar winner’s work skews left of blockbusters and typical Oscar bait, so it’s not exactly surprising that she didn’t make the jump. But that doesn’t mean she never tried. In an interview with The Guardian, Varda spoke candidly about the time in the 1980s when she and partner Jacques Demy popped over to Los Angeles to attempt moviemaking Stateside. Demy made one film that flopped completely. Varda didn’t even get one in the can, partly because of a discouraging interaction with a Hollywood producer who pinched her on the cheek.

“It was disgusting to do this to me. I slapped him,” Varda said. “But he deserved it.”

Varda, The Guardian noted, still seemed “every bit as offended as she was all those years ago.” When asked if that was the main reason her Hollywood career never got off the ground, Varda said, “there were other reasons.”

Thankfully, she never needed Hollywood anyway. Varda has had an incredibly fruitful run, dotted with highlights like the The Gleaners and I and last year’s Oscar-nominated documentary Faces Places, a collaboration with JR. She also earned an honorary Oscar last year, celebrated for a decades-long career that began in 1962 with Cleo from 5 to 7. In her acceptance speech, the 90-year-old traced her path, explaining her transition from narrative to documentary film, and noting how, despite her acclaim, making movies was always an uphill battle.

“I have to say, I had a hard time finding money,” she said. “My films never made money, and I’m not bankable. Nevertheless, if not money, I got many awards.”

Varda has also enjoyed a renewed reputation as a style icon, thanks to her colorful ensembles (for your consideration: her floral Gucci pajama set worn to this year’s Oscars) and two-tone magenta and white hair. Long live the queen.