Expedition Through The Filmography of Agnes Varda

Last month, Criterion released a box-set of the complete filmography of one of my absolute favorite directors, Agnes Varda. Though they have had many of her most popular films on their streaming website for a while, this past weekend they added the rest of her films to the site. Known as “the Grandmother of the New Wave,” Agnes Varda directed her first film in 1955 and her last in 2019—just before she passed away. To me, Varda is much more than just a precursor to the New Wave. She makes me feel inspired to make, watch, read, and just generally be a part of film. She always makes me want more. So, I’ve decided that it should be my goal to watch the whole collection before they take it off. Will I succeed? Probably not. But the fact that I have no idea how long these films will be on the website gives me an excuse if I don’t finish :)

I have seen 8 of Varda’s feature films and 2 of her shorts leaving 12 feature films and around 20 short films that I have not seen. In this introductory post I will very briefly go through each of the films I have seen. If you want to watch along with me, have seen some of her films and have thoughts, or have any suggestions of where I should start let me know in the comments below or on Instagram! I’d love to include some quotes in coming posts.

The Films I Have Seen

Features (roughly in the order I watched them)

Cleo from 9 to 5 (1962): My introduction to Varda. I watched this film for a class and was for some reason surprised by how much I liked it. It’s a simple plot— following the day of a singer in Paris as she waits for the results of a biopsy test— but the film is executed so smoothly and is quite enjoyable to watch.

Jane B. par Agnes V (1988): My personal favorite. This film has some of the most imaginative shots and sequences I have ever seen in a documentary. I love the feeling of collaboration between Varda and her subject, Jane Birkin. The style and the ways in which Varda chose to show different parts of Jane Birkin completely shifted my image of what a documentary can be. This is absolutely one of those films that makes you want to make films.

Le Bonheur (1965): This one was a bit confusing for me and, from what I’ve gathered from various interviews, my reaction is pretty common. The film follows a happy young family and what happens when the husband falls in love with another woman. To be honest, my first thought when I finished watching this film was “that was so French.” That may have been a subjective reaction, however, as apparently many French audiences at the time had a similarly confused reaction. Despite my inability to connect with the story, the visuals and use of color in the film are top tier.

The Beaches of Agnes (2008): Another one of my favorites. This film sits in a similar category as Jane B. for me and officially cemented Varda as one of my favorite directors. Her portrayal of herself is so tender and feels almost as if she’s inviting you into her thoughts, pleasures, and family. The film is also proof that the woman is as hilarious as her hair is iconic.

Vagabond (1985): In my opinion, this is Varda’s masterpiece. Everything about this film is intriguing, engaging, and devastating. Sandrine Bonnaire’s performance is pristine and the fact that she was only 17 when they filmed Vagabond continues to baffle me. The film tells the story of a young woman who drifts through the Languedoc-Rousillon region of southern France in the dead of winter. The first shot of the film shows Mona, the young drifter, in a ditch, having frozen to death during the night. It’s a rough one to watch but completely worth it. Content warning for sexual assault.

Varda by Agnés (2019): This is Varda’s last film before she passed away last year. Because I am a fan of hers I enjoyed this film. However, it does take the structure of a lecture sometimes and I could see how those who aren’t as familiar might not enjoy it as much. Definitely not where to start.

One Sings the Other Doesn’t (1977): For some reason, this one took me a while to get through but, when I look back on it, I really admire Varda’s take on feminism and how the film felt both aspirational and grounded through the two women it follows.

Mur Murs (1981): Absolutely loved this one. As with Black Panther below, it was pretty interesting to see the LA mural scene from the perspective of a French director. The film also had an incredibly strong sense of time and place.

Shorts

Black Panthers (1968): I loved how, when editing this film, Varda allowed the leaders of the movement to simply speak for themselves. Outside of a few voice-overs for contextualization, the film makes clear that Varda is an outsider here and that the best way to represent what was happening was through the words of those involved.

L’Opéra Mouffe (1958): My favorite part of this little short about Varda’s pregnancy is when she goes down to the market around the corner and ponders on the fact that all of the (mostly elderly) people in her little neighborhood were once babies. It’s such a nice moment that connects the documentary footage that we see with the sentiments of the film.

See you soon,

Sofia