Agnès Varda Movies
Agnès Varda has been called the "Grandmother of the New Wave," a well-meaning if curious tribute for a woman who directed her first feature film at the age of 26. Born in Brussels to a French father and Greek mother, Varda studied literature and psychology at the Sorbonne, and art history at the École du Louvre. She'd originally wanted to be a museum curator, but a night-school course in photography changed her mind. Rapidly establishing herself as a top-rank still photographer, Varda became the official cameraperson for the Theatre Festival of Avignon and the Theatre National Populaire, and then pursued a career as a photojournalist.Encouraged by filmmaker Alain Resnais, Varda made her movie directorial bow in 1955 with La Pointe Courte. She based the film on a William Faulkner short story, to which she was attracted because of its parallel plotlines (a recurring device in her later films). That same year, she accompanied another future New Wave director, Chris Marker, to China as visual advisor for Marker's Dimanche a Pekin, then concentrated on writing and directing experimental short subjects for the next five years. Varda's international reputation was secured with her 1961 feature Cleo de 5 a 7, which related in "real time" the anguish of a pop singer awaiting the results of her cancer tests. Her next film, and her first in color, was Le Bonheur (1965), a pioneering feminist manifesto wherein a misguided protagonist convinces himself that he can live copacetically with both his wife and his mistress.
Many of Varda's subsequent productions were heavily influenced by her political views. While visiting America with her director-husband Jacques Demy in 1968, she directed two tractlike short subjects, one of which -- Black Panthers (1969) -- was a paean to activist Huey Newton. Her 1970 production Nausicaa, a TV documentary about Greeks living in France, was so politically volatile that (according to Varda) it was banned outright by Greece's military government. Seldom motivated by commercial considerations (though she was willing to dash off two short subjects on behalf of the French National Tourist Office), Varda continued experimenting with new forms into the '70s; her German documentary Daguerreotypes (1974) was comprised of 4000 still photos (an extension of Varda's fondness for "personifying" inanimate objects), while Response de Femmes (1975) was lensed in 8-millimeter. In 1977, she formed her own production company, Cine-Tamaris. Its first effort was One Sings, the Other Doesn't, a celebration of "the happiness of being a woman" that proved to be a worldwide success. Varda would not make another theatrical film until the highly acclaimed 1985 docudrama Vagabond, a bleak, powerful portrait of an ill-fated young drifter (played by Sandrine Bonnaire, who won a César for her performance).
In addition to her own films, Varda has written dialogue for the works of others, most notably for Bernardo Bertolucci's Last Tango in Paris. She also served as producer for her husband's Lady Oscar. As Demy lay dying in 1990, Varda expressed her love and appreciation for her husband in the eloquent Jacquot de Nantes (1991); though many believed that this would be her farewell film, she was back in 1995 with Les Cent et Une Nuits. Among the many awards bestowed upon Varda have been the Prix Melies for Cleo de 5 a 7 and the Prix Louis Delluc and Berlin Film Festival Special Award for Le Bonheur. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 2008
Produced and directed by French Left Bank giant Agnes Varda as a summation of her long and enduring career, Agnes' Beaches constitutes a free-floating essay film. It is comprised of various elements that collectively pay homage to Varda's past - including clips from the director's features, dramatically reconstructed moments from Varda's life, and elaborate, almost baroque monuments created onscreen to symbolize specific ideas and concepts - such as an opening scene with a number of individuals setting up mirrors of various shapes and sizes on a great beach, and an enclosure lined, from wall to wall and floor to ceiling, with film strips from Varda's only cinematic flop, the 1969 feature Les Creatures. Varda uses beaches, throughout the narrative, as a recurring structural motif to convey her progress from one stage of life to another, while the freedom of form on display here recalls a similar approach on display in earlier Varda works such as the 1991 Jacquot de Nantes. ~ Nathan Southern, All Movie Guide
Produced and directed by French Left Bank giant Agnès Varda as a summation of her long and enduring career, Agnès' Beaches constitutes a free-floating essay film. It is comprised of various elements that collectively pay homage to Varda's past -- including clips from the director's features, dramatically reconstructed moments from Varda's life, and elaborate, almost baroque monuments created onscreen to symbolize specific ideas and concepts -- such as an opening scene with a number of individuals setting up mirrors of various shapes and sizes on a great beach, and an enclosure lined, from wall to wall and floor to ceiling, with film strips from Varda's only cinematic flop, the 1969 feature Les Creatures. Varda uses beaches throughout the narrative as a recurring structural motif to convey her progress from one stage of life to another, while the freedom of form on display here recalls a similar approach on display in earlier Varda works such as the 1991 Jacquot de Nantes. ~ Nathan Southern, Rovi
- Starring:
- Agnès Varda
- 2004
Three short films touching on the art and emotional resonance of photography from director Agnès Varda are collected in this compilation feature. Cinévardaphoto features one new film, Ydessa, the Bears and Etc..., a profile of Ydessa Hendeles, a Canadian photo collector who has curated exhibitions from her large archive of snapshots of people with their teddy bears, which she believes reveal a great deal about the times and circumstances of their creation. Two earlier Varda shorts also appear: Ulysse offers a close examination of a photo taken by Varda in Egypt in 1954, while Salut les Cubains is an animated film created from 1,500 photographs Varda took while visiting Cuba in 1963, in which the static images take on joyous life. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- 2003
Brazilian filmmakers Joao Jardim and Walter Carvalho ponder the old adage "the eyes are the windows to the soul" as they explore vision and perception in their 2002 documentary A Janela Da Alma (Window of the Soul). Beginning with an interview with Brazilian jazz musician Hermeto Pascoal, Carvalho and Jardim attempt to make sense of how the musician perceives his world with a pair of impaired eyes that appear to simultaneously look in different directions. From there, the Brazilian co-directors interview a number of famous subjects with varying degrees of ocular health, ranging from the non-vision impaired director Wim Wenders to blind photographer Evgen Bavcar, while both the filmmakers and the interview subjects ponder how their lives and existences would be different had their abilities or inabilities to see the world around them been different. Released in Brazil in the summer of 2002 to mixed reviews, A Janela Da Alma was screened at a number of film festivals around the world in late 2002 into early 2003. ~ Ryan Shriver, Rovi
- Starring:
- Evgen Bavcar, Antonio Cicero, (more)
Director Jonathan Demme filters the classic Audrey Hepburn and Cary Grant vehicle Charade through the influence of the French New Wave in this stylish romantic thriller. Regina Lambert (Thandie Newton) has been having second thoughts about her marriage to the often enigmatic art dealer Charlie (Stephen Dillane), and decides to take a vacation without him, where she meets Joshua Peters (Mark Wahlberg), a handsome and charming American who seems quite taken with her. When Regina returns home to Paris, she receives the startling news that her husband has been murdered; however, even more disturbing is her discovery that her husband had a secret life which involved several passports under different identities, and a missing six million dollars. Police official Commandant Dominique (Christine Boisson) seems to believe that Regina is somehow involved in the crime, while U.S. embassy representative Mr. Bartholomew (Tim Robbins) breaks the news to Regina that her late husband was actually a secret agent involved in some very shady operations. Three mysterious and dangerous figures who had ties to Charlie -- Emil Zadapec (Ted Levine), Lola Jansco (Lisa Gay Hamilton), and Il-Sang Lee (Joong-Hoon Park) -- also arrive in Paris, convinced that Regina knows where her husband stashed the money and determined to get their hands on it. Meanwhile, as Regina's life becomes increasingly chaotic and dangerous, Joshua arrives in Paris and a romance begins to blossom between them, but while he seems determined to do whatever he can to help her, Regina soon has reason to doubt that Joshua's motives are as pure as they seem. Shot on location in Paris, The Truth About Charlie also features cameo appearances from a number of legendary French actors and filmmakers, including Charles Aznavour, Anna Karina, and Agnès Varda. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Mark Wahlberg, Thandie Newton, (more)
Legendary filmmaker Agnes Varda takes digital camcorder in hand and roams about the French countryside in search of "gleaners." An age-old practice, as depicted in Millet's famous painting, performed traditionally by peasant women, gleaners scavenged the remains of a crop after the harvest. Varda finds their modern-day equivalent collecting rejected potatoes outside of Lyon, fallen apples in Provence, and refuse in the markets of Paris. Along the way, she talks to a man sporting yellow rubber boots who has lived on trash for ten years, a gourmet chef who gleans for his restaurant, a homeless doctorate in biology who teaches literacy courses to immigrants for free, a couple of artists who use trash in their work, and the grandson of early cinema innovator Étienne-Jules Marey. Along the way, Varda discusses heart-shaped potatoes, big trucks on the highway, the waste of consumerism, and the ravages of time. This film was screened at the 2000 Cannes and Toronto Film Festivals. ~ Jonathan Crow, Rovi
Noted French filmmaker Demy's wife Agnes Varda helmed this intensely personal tribute to her late husband. It is her third such tribute and is the only one to look deeply into Demy's vision as a director and his filmmaking techniques. To do so, she uses perfectly preserved film clips from each of the director's works and interviews with those who knew and loved him. Those interviewed include actress Catherine Deneuve, actress Anouk Aimee, actor Michel Piccoli, composer Michel Legrand, his own children and others, including female fans whose lives where influenced by his work. Also included are intimate home movies of him during a visit by Francois Truffaut and the late Jim Morrison. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi
This homage to the cinema by venerated movie-maker Agnes Varda, often dubbed the "grandmother" of the French New Wave, features an all-star international cast. The story is based upon the memories and insights of the 100-year old Mr. Simon Cinema. He lives in a magnificent house filled with movie memorabilia. To help him remember the important details of his career he hires Camille, a film student to write down his remembrances and experiences which have involved all areas of movie-making. Camille comes once a day for 101 days. Film clips, photographs and actual visitors highlight his stories. As he continues to spin his yarns, the imagery in the film smoothly morph into other images. Camille, when not recording, is involved in other exploits including a romance with a production assistant, Mica who aspires to becoming a director. She also begins plotting a way to get to Mr. Cinema's fortune by having a friend pose as his long lost heir. Many other characters are peripherally involved including Death, an Italian seeking the rights to his film catalogue, and a memory specialist. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Michel Piccoli, Marcello Mastroianni, (more)
- 1993
In 1967, the phenomenally successful director of the films Lola and the groundbreaking musical Les Parapluies de Cherbourg, Jacques Demy, arrived in the little port town of Rochefort and, together with his art director, decorated the whole town in cheerful, almost surreal fashion for the filming of his next musical, Les Demoiselles de Rochefort. This enormously well-received film, packed with songs which became integral to French popular culture, put the little town of Rochefort "on the map." Twenty five years later, a lot of things have changed except for the fond memories of the people who worked on the film, and of the townspeople. In this celebratory documentary, Agnes Varda, the wife of Jacques Demy, brings some of the players and extras together back in Rochefort for some reminiscences. In keeping with the thoroughly romantic nature of the musical, she also tells the story of how Les Demoiselles de Rochefort's extras found romance and had their lives changed by participating in its making. The present-day story is highlighted by clips from the earlier film, and from a documentary of the period showing how it was made. ~ Clarke Fountain, Rovi
- Starring:
- Mag Bodard, Catherine Deneuve, (more)
- 1991
- PG
A year after the untimely death of her husband and fellow filmmaker Jacques Demy, director Agnès Varda produced this film based on Demy's memoirs. Focusing on Demy's childhood, Jacquot de Nantes explores the Les Parapluies de Cherbourg director's burgeoning fascination with film as a boy and introduces viewers to his mother and father, a hairdresser and garage owner, respectively. At different stages of his life, Jacquot is portrayed by young actors Philippe Maron, Edouard Joubeaud, and Laurent Monnier. Jacquot de Nantes was also released as simply Jacquot. ~ Matthew Tobey, Rovi
- Starring:
- Philippe Maron, Edouard Joubeaud, (more)
- 1988
Jane B. is London-born actress and recording star Jane Birkin. Agnes V. is Belgian filmmaker and "grandmother of the New Wave" Agnes Varda. Jane B. Par Agnes V is a cinematic recounting of Birkin's career, from her breakthrough appearance as one of the nude models in Blow-Up to her pinnacle as star of such films as La Femme de Ma Vie (1986). It is also the story of Birkin and Varda's close relationship, made stronger by their mutual admiration and their lifelong fascination with feminist themes. Viewers who prefer straightforward, objective documentaries rather than radicalized film techniques, may not appreciate Jane B. par Agnes V. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Jane Birkin, Philippe Léotard, (more)
- 1987
- R
Veteran French director Agnes Varda's Le Petit Amour is based on a short story by actress/songstress Jane Birkin. Birkin herself plays the main character, a loving but lonely 40-year-old divorcee. Her life is brightened a bit by the presence of a handsome 15-year-old, played by Mathieu Demy. Their romance forms the basis of this "petit" Varda effort, which is also known as Kung Fu Master (now you'll have to see it for yourself!). Shortly after the release of Le Petit Amour, Agnes Varda directed a documentary centering upon Jane Birkin, Jane B par Agnes V. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Jane Birkin, Mathieu Demy, (more)
Vagabond, directed by Agnes Varda is the dark disturbing story of a female drifter named Mona (Sandrine Bonnaire). The film opens as Mona's frozen body is found in a drainage ditch and proceeds to tell her story in a series of flashbacks and semi-documentary style "interviews" with the people who have known Mona during the last few weeks of her life. Mona is a distant, independent and not-very-likeable woman who goes from place to place, living where she can and with anyone who will take her in. Mona's true nature remains a puzzle, both to those who thought they knew her, and to the audience. As the movie progresses it becomes clear that no one knew the true Mona and she, because of her aloofness and essential coldness, provided a canvas for those she met to write upon. Who Mona really was, and what she thought remains ambiguous. Sandrine Bonnaire is excellent as Mona, making an unappealing and cold character interesting and intriguing. Director Agnes Varda began her career as a still photographer. This beginning is evident in her elegant framing of the film. She has an instinctive awareness of and a photographer's eye for visual detail which makes the film cold, bleak, and aridly beautiful. Internationally acclaimed, Vagabond is Varda's most successful film. ~ Linda Rasmussen, Rovi
- Starring:
- Sandrine Bonnaire, Macha Meril, (more)
- 1981
An unhappy Frenchwoman is living in Los Angeles, alone with her son now that her boyfriend has left for good. She works typing for a filmmaker, on a beach that is as bleak and desolate as she feels at this juncture in her life. The daily routine is hard to bear in the face of her loneliness, and only the relationship with her son offers any chance of recovery from a deadening despair. This fictional film was meant to be seen alongside the director Agnes Varda's documentary on wall paintings in L.A. titled Murs, Murs. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, Rovi
- Starring:
- Sabine Mamou, Mathieu Demy, (more)
- 1981
When French director Agnes Varda moved to Los Angeles for awhile, she was fascinated by the many oversized murals that decorate the city's walls in certain sectors. This documentary is a record of many of the murals, and contains interviews with artists and patrons - in some cases, the murals are partially funded by the city. One Italian restauranteur brought an artist over from Italy to paint panoramas of the city of Rome on his walls. Varda has not only captured the spirit of the murals and the life they reflect, but has also shown them in their context of city streets and buildings. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, Rovi
- 1977
In this story of friendship and reproductive rights, 14 years in the relationship between two very dissimilar women are chronicled. Pauline (Valerie Mairesse) is a middle-class city girl, at odds with her very conventional family. Suzanne (Therese Liotard) is several years older, a country girl with two illegitimate children and another (whom she cannot support) on the way. Pauline loans Suzanne money for an (illegal) abortion. At this point, the two separate and communicate mainly through postcards. Some years later, they meet at an abortion rally, and they have many adventures and stories to share with one another. ~ Clarke Fountain, Rovi
- Starring:
- Valérie Mairesse, Ali Raffi, (more)
