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Agnès Varda (May 30th, 1928 – March 29th, 2019) was a Belgian-born French film director, screenwriter, photographer, and artist. Varda died from cancer on 29 March 2019 in Paris, at the age of 90. In 1958, while living in Paris, Varda met her future husband, Jacques Demy, also a French director. They moved in together in 1959. She was married to Demy from 1962 until his death in 1990. Varda had two children: a daughter, Rosalie Varda (born 1958), from a previous union with actor Antoine Bourseiller, and a son, Mathieu Demy (born 1972), with Demy.  "If we opened people up, we’d find landscapes." A founder of the French New Wave who became an international art-house icon, Agnès Varda was a fiercely independent, restlessly curious visionary whose work was at once personal and passionately committed to the world around her. In an abundant career in which she never stopped expanding the notion of what a movie can be, Varda forged a unique cinematic vocabulary that frequently blurs the boundaries between narrative and documentary, and entwines loving portraits of her friends, her family, and her own inner world with a social consciousness that was closely attuned to the 1960s counterculture, the women’s liberation movement, the plight of the poor and socially marginalized, and the ecology of our planet. (from Criterion's website) While working as a photographer, Varda became interested in making a film, although she stated that she knew little about the medium and had only seen around twenty films by the age of twenty-five. She later said that she wrote her first screenplay "just the way a person writes his first book. When I'd finished writing it, I thought to myself: 'I'd like to shoot that script,' and so some friends and I formed a cooperative to make it." She found the filmmaking process difficult because it did not allow the same freedom as writing a novel; however she said that her approach was instinctive and feminine. In an interview with The Believer, Varda stated that she wanted to make films that related to her time (in reference to La Pointe Courte), rather than focusing on traditions or classical standards. In 1977, Varda founded her own production company, Cine-Tamaris, in order to have more control over shooting and editing.  "To share a lot of ideas - not ideas - emotions, a way of looking at people, a way of looking at life. If it can be shared, it means there is a common denominator." Like many other French New Wave directors, Varda was likely influenced by auteur theory, creating her own signature style by using the camera "as a pen." Varda described her method of filmmaking as "cinécriture" ("cinematic writing" or "writing on film"). Rather than separating the fundamental roles that contribute to a film (such as cinematographer, screenwriter, and director), Varda believed that all roles should be working together simultaneously to create a more cohesive film, and all elements of the film should contribute to its message. She claimed to make most of her discoveries while editing, seeking the opportunity to find images or dialogue that create a motif. Because of her photographic background, still images are often significant in her films. Still images may serve symbolic or narrative purposes, and each element of them is important. There is sometimes conflict between still and moving images in her films, and she often mixed still images (snapshots) with moving images. Varda paid very close attention to detail and was highly conscious of the implications of each cinematic choice she made. Elements of the film are rarely just functional, each element has its own implications, both on its own and that it lends to the entire film's message. Varda's work is often considered feminist because of her use of female protagonists and her creation of a female cinematic voice. Varda is quoted as having said, "I'm not at all a theoretician of feminism, I did all that—my photos, my craft, my film, my life—on my terms, my own terms, and not to do it like a man." Although she was not actively involved in any strict agendas of the feminist movement, Varda often focused on women's issues thematically and never tried to change her craft to make it more conventional or masculine. Historically, Varda is seen as the New Wave's mother. Film critic Delphine Bénézet has argued for Varda's importance as "au feminin singulier," a woman of singularity and of the utmost importance in film history. Varda embraced her femininity with distinct boldness. Many of her influences were artistic or literary, including Surrealism, William Faulkner, Franz Kafka, and Nathalie Sarraute.  "Humor is such a strong weapon, such a strong answer. Women have to make jokes about themselves, laugh about themselves, because they have nothing to lose." On August 11th, 2020, the Criterion Collection released The Complete Films of Agnès Varda. This comprehensive collection places Varda’s filmography in the context of her parallel work as a photographer and multimedia artist—all of it a testament to the radical vision, boundless imagination, and radiant spirit of a true original for whom every act of creation was a vital expression of her very being. (per Criterion) You can look into the details of the collection on Criterion's website. Most of her films are readily available to stream on The Criterion Channel as well.  This thread is a place to discuss Agnes Varda's career and films. With the release of the box set, I hope that the cinephile goons of CineD will want to talk about the films as they go through the films and essays. I haven't seen any of Varda's films, myself, which is why all of this information was copy/pasted from other sources. So, like others, I will be going through the box's contents for the first time. I'm excited to talk about her films with everyone. Franchescanado fucked around with this message at 15:04 on Oct 28, 2020 |
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Oct 28, 2020 15:01
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Agnes Varda's Filmography Feature Length Films 1955 | La Pointe Courte 1962 | Cléo de 5 à 7 , or, Cléo from 5 to 7 1965 | Le Bonheur 1966 | Les Créatures , or, The Creatures 1967 | Loin du Vietnam , or, Far from Vietnam 1969 | Lions Love 1975 | Daguerréotypes 1977 | L'Une chante, l'autre pas , or, One Sings, the Other Doesn't 1981 | Mur Murs , or Mural Murals 1981 | Documenteur , or Documenteur 1985 | Sans toit ni loi , or Vagabond 1988 | Jane B. par Agnes V , or Jane B. by Agnes V. 1987 | Le petit amour , or Kung Fu Master 1991 | Jacquot de Nantes or Jacquot 1993 | Les demoiselles ont eu 25 ans , or The Young Girls Turn 25 1994 | Les Cent et une nuits de Simon Cinéma , or A Hundred and One Nights 1995 | L'univers de Jacques Demy , or The World of Jacques Demy 2000 | Les Glaneurs et la glaneuse , or The Gleaners and I 2002 | Les Glaneurs et la glaneuse... deux ans après , or The Gleaners and I: Two Years Later 2004 | Cinévardaphoto , or Cinévardaphoto 2006 | Quelques veuves de Noirmoutier , or Some Widows of Noirmoutier 2008 | Les plages d'Agnès , or The Beaches of Agnès 2017 | Visages Villages , or Faces Places 2019 | Varda par Agnès , or Varda by Agnès Short Films 1958 | L'opéra-mouffe or Diary of a Pregnant Woman 1958 | La cocotte d'azur 1958 | Du côté de la côte or Along the Coast 1958 | Ô saisons, ô châteaux - 1961 | Les fiancés du pont MacDonald (Méfiez-vous des lunettes noires) 1963 | Salut les cubains 1965 | Elsa la rose 1967 | Oncle Yanco or Uncle Yanco 1968 | Black Panthers 1975 | Réponse de femmes: Notre corps, notre sexe or Women Reply 1976 | Plaisir d'amour en Iran 1984 | Les dites cariatides or The So-Called Caryatids 1984 | 7p. cuis., s. de b., ... à saisir 1986 | T'as de beaux escaliers, tu sais or You've Got Beautiful Stairs, You Know 1982 | Ulysse or Ulysse 2003 | Le lion volatil 2004 | Ydessa, les ours et etc. or Ydessa, the Bears and etc. 2004 | Viennale Walzer or Vienna International Film Festival 2004 - Trailer 2005 | Les dites cariatides bis 2005 | Cléo de 5 à 7: souvenirs et anecdotes or Cléo from 5 to 7: Remembrances and Anecdotes Director 2015 | Les 3 Boutons or The Three Buttons Works for Television 1970 | Nausicaa (TV movie) 1983 | Une minute pour une image (TV documentary) 2010 | "The Beaches of Agnès" - P.O.V., episode 3, season 23, 2011 | Agnès de ci de là Varda (5 episodes) Franchescanado fucked around with this message at 15:17 on Oct 28, 2020 |
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Oct 28, 2020 15:02
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ive only seen faces places but its lovely
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Oct 29, 2020 00:00
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I have only seen Cleo from 5 to 7, and it may be my favourite of the French New Wave films that I have seen (although, I really love 400 Blows). I am interested in watching more of her films. Looks like Happiness should be my next step. I have also really wanted to see her documentary on the making-of the Young Girls of Rochefort. I have recently gotten the Criterion Channel again, so I really have no excuses.
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Oct 29, 2020 15:07
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I'm going to do a linear progression through the Agnes Varda Box set starting in November. It has a pretty interesting presentation of the films. 1. Agnès Forever – “Varda by Agnès” (2019), “Les 3 boutons” (2015) 2. Early Varda – “La Pointe Courte” (1955), “Ô saisons, ô châteaux” (1958), “Du côté de la côte” (1958) 3. Around Paris – “Cléo From 5 to 7” (1962), “Les fiancés du pont Macdonald” (1962), “L’opéra-mouffe” (1958), “Les dites cariatides” (1984), “T’as de beaux escaliers, tu sais” (1986) 4. Rue Daguerre – “Daguerréotypes” (1975), “Le lion volatil” (2003) 5. Married Life – “Le bonheur” (1965), “Les créatures” (1966), “Elsa la Rose” (1966) 6. In California – “Uncle Yanco” (1968), “Black Panthers” (1970), “Lions Love (…and Lies)” (1969), “Mur Murs” (1981), “Documenteur” (1981) 7. Her Body, Herself – “One Sings, the Other Doesn’t” (1977), “Réponse de femmes” (1975), “Plaisir d’amour en Iran” (1977) 8. No Shelter – “Vagabond” (1985), “7 p., cuis., s. de b… (à saisir)” (1985) 9. Jane B. – “Jane B. par Agnès V.” (1988), “Kung-Fu Master!” (1988) 10. Jacques Demy – “Jacquot de Nantes” (1991), “The Young Girls Turn 25” (1993), “The World of Jacques Demy” (1995) 11. Simon Cinéma – “One Hundred and One Nights” (1995) 12. La glaneuse – “The Gleaners and I” (2000), “The Gleaners and I: Two Years Later” (2002) 13. Visual Artist – “Faces Places,” co-directed with JR (2017), “Salut les cubains” (1964), “Ulysse” (1982), “Ydessa, les ours et etc…” (2004) 14. Here and There – “Agnès de ci de là Varda” (2011) 15. Beaches – “The Beaches of Agnès” (2008) I'm always tempted to watch a director's filmography from earliest to latest, but I'm willing to go on this weird journey that someone at Criterion curated.
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Oct 29, 2020 15:16
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I am tempted to go earliest to latest, but depending on the director, I can get burned out on their early films. For me, I just go with their most popular (or highest rated), and then go from there. I find doing it this way gives me a deeper appreciation of their older films, because I can see elements of what they are doing that they did better in their later work. However, that is an interesting presentation of the films. In my Bergman set, I am pretty sure they just presented his films chronologically.
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Oct 29, 2020 15:42
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Twin Cinema posted:I am tempted to go earliest to latest, but depending on the director, I can get burned out on their early films. For me, I just go with their most popular (or highest rated), and then go from there. I find doing it this way gives me a deeper appreciation of their older films, because I can see elements of what they are doing that they did better in their later work. No, the Bergman set did something similar, with the idea that it was a "Bergman film festival", so there are headliners, double features, themed nights, and stuff like that.
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Oct 29, 2020 15:48
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Franchescanado posted:No, the Bergman set did something similar, with the idea that it was a "Bergman film festival", so there are headliners, double features, themed nights, and stuff like that. This is my way of saying that I purchased it and watched exactly one film and one episode of "Scenes".
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Oct 29, 2020 15:50
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I ctrl-f'd for it and I don't see anyone talking about Hommage d'Zgougou, so it is my duty to present it: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2cggCfxMEMQ "Bernard still accepts this" is one of those quotes that I wish was famous because I think about it all the time.
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Oct 29, 2020 20:48
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Magic Hate Ball posted:I ctrl-f'd for it and I don't see anyone talking about Hommage d'Zgougou, so it is my duty to present it: This is adorable.
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Oct 29, 2020 20:54
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I watched "One Sings..." last night, and I am in awe. Just a completely unique film -- it's unlike anything I have seen. It starts with suicide, poverty, and abortion, in a naturalistic way, but the film never feels overly heavy. Sure, the topics are heavy, but the film seems to not present anything as a conflict in the typical way. Instead, it's more of a meditation on the joyousness of friendship. On a side note, I realize the French, especially in the 70s, were a much different culture. But I was shocked to see full-frontal from the lead actress portraying a 17-year old girl. Also, a bath scene with the teenaged daughter. All of these scenes were shot in a naturalistic way, but it just shows how removed I am from that culture.
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Nov 2, 2020 17:53
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Twin Cinema posted:I watched "One Sings..." last night, and I am in awe. Just a completely unique film -- it's unlike anything I have seen. It starts with suicide, poverty, and abortion, in a naturalistic way, but the film never feels overly heavy. Sure, the topics are heavy, but the film seems to not present anything as a conflict in the typical way. Instead, it's more of a meditation on the joyousness of friendship. Speaking of Vagabond, there was a great segment in Varda by Agnès where she explained how much thought went into the tracking shots that separate the vigenettes. The shots all move from right to left, opposite to reading direction, to make it like Mona is swimming against the current. Also there's a focal point at the end of one shot which then appears at the start of the next one to join up the journey. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v3E99QTez40
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Nov 2, 2020 21:55
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I watched Varda by Agnes yesterday. I was wary about watching a final film as a first introduction by the artist, but it's such a casual and insightful portrait of her many projects. Her career is fascinating and inspiring. I love that she sets aside formalities of cinema, and really many aspects of creative fields, to instead express her intentions and inspirations. I loved the blend of academic presentation with playful cinematic documentary moments (like the tracking shot scene). It always feels personal, like she's directly addressing the viewer, which was charming and reassuring. What a life! What a career! What a woman! I can't wait to dig into her films more.
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Nov 5, 2020 14:51
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Twin Cinema posted:I have only seen Cleo from 5 to 7, and it may be my favourite of the French New Wave films that I have seen (although, I really love 400 Blows). I am interested in watching more of her films. Looks like Happiness should be my next step. Same, I'm generally not real into French New Wave but I watched Cleo from 5 to 7 a couple months ago and I loved it.
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Nov 5, 2020 15:57
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Franchescanado posted:I watched Varda by Agnes yesterday. Would you recommend watching this next? Or, do you think I should follow my current path of watching the highest rated films?
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Nov 5, 2020 18:36
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Twin Cinema posted:Would you recommend watching this next? Or, do you think I should follow my current path of watching the highest rated films? I don't see why not. It doesn't really spoil any of her works, if that's possible, and it provides a lot of context to them, and her as an artist, including visual arts, installations, and photography. It's maybe a little long, if only because I was ready to start watching her films
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Nov 5, 2020 19:03
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Franchescanado posted:I watched Varda by Agnes yesterday. Watched this last night, and I was most struck by the joy of humanity present in so much of her work. Also, it just made me really want to hang out with her. The art installation/grave for her cat was the sweetest thing -- especially when the shot of the young girl who came back without her friends to be able to experience it.
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Nov 9, 2020 16:30
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I recently watched my first Agnes Varda film, Cleo from 5 to 7, and I was underwhelmed. I wanted to love it, but I didn't feel much connection to it. Cleo, with her vanity and her spoiled lifestyle, was difficult to sympathise with. The anticipation of the doctor's news was an interesting narrative device, but what was the mundanity of the 2-hour span supposed to mean to me? She looks at a lot of people, listens to their conversations, etc. It seems there was an intended feeling of reflection or introspection, but it didn't hit me. All i thought was "Okay now this pampered girl is buying a hat. Now she's singing. Now she's riding in a taxi." For those who love this, in what ways did it connect with you?
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Jan 8, 2021 18:43
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A big part of it is how Cleo gradually comes to terms with and eventually sheds all of her protective layers in the face of her looming mortality. It's not just about how she interacts with others, but how she sees herself interacting with others, which is why so much of it is focused on things like the hat-buying scene, or all the sequences with mirrors, or the scene where she and her boyfriend have a mundane conversation in a frilly bed while romantic music plays. She's unsympathetic at the beginning because she's playing a part she thinks she's supposed to play, which is gradually picked apart scene by scene, like in the bit where she puts on her record at a cafe and realizes that all of the energy she puts into this big dramatic role as a pop star amounts to nothing more than background noise for people drinking coffee. Eventually, after existentially baring herself to herself, she has a single moment of authentic contact with another human being. I think the reason I love this movie so much is how it's almost like an essay, with every scene functioning as a self-contained moment of exploration of a different facet of Cleo's problem and journey, so when you put it all together you not only have a character arc, but a study of Cleo and the world around her.
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Jan 8, 2021 19:21
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Thanks, I think that actually helps me appreciate it more. Curious, how many times have you seen the film?
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Jan 8, 2021 22:47
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Oh, gosh, several times. Five or six, I think. I haven't watched it in a little while but I think of it often.
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Jan 9, 2021 01:49
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It seems like the type of movie that, for me at least, will reward rewatches in terms of providing a deeper appreciation.
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Jan 9, 2021 02:17
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I'm 5-6 discs into the Criterion set after only seeing Cleo before. I've instantly become a fan of both Varda herself and her films. She's endlessly charming in the interviews and intros. La pointe court really seems like it's cut from the same cloth as Mr. Hulot's Holiday except instead of a comedy it's more of an actuality. Le bonheur is both beautiful and terrifying, as is Les creatures, which really has some serious David Lynch vibes. I did like the short film about the sunglasses with Jean-Luc Godard in a Harold Lloyd type role, plus all the other films with cats. For that matter, I don't think a single film of hers lacks at least one cat each.
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Jan 21, 2021 04:31
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Now through the first nine discs, decided to watch Jacquot de Nantes tonight - Varda's film based on her husband Jacques Demy's childhood. This might be my favorite of her films so far. There's so much going on here - we see Demy's childhood and obsession with film in B&W, with splashes of color, punctuated with actual footage of Demy near the end of his life. For that matter, one thing that's blowing my mind about this set is that the majority of the making-of documentaries, interviews, and other bonuses were actually made by Varda herself!
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Mar 5, 2021 04:35
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