Agnes Varda, one of the most original women directors, bar none, is at it again. We were quite impressed by this film, which is not a biography, but in which Ms. Varda takes us on a tour of her life. She has always been admired for her films, but this account is almost a confession she makes to us, her audience. Islands have been a close subject for her, and so we are shown parts of her life where she has been closely tied to these places in the sea.
"Les plages d'Agnes" serves the director to take us along for a magical ride in which reveals some things that one never knew about her, as well as she goes over some parts of her life we already knew. Her life with Jacques Demy and their work is often seen at different moments of their distinguished careers. The revelation of her husband's death from AIDS must have weighed heavily on her. Such a vital man to succumb to that disease is hard to imagine and one can only feel for what Agnes went through in that ordeal.
In spite of her age, Agnes Varda shows an amazing amount of energy. She sets most of the narrative on a beach in which she lets her imagination go wild with the possibilities she can create from the elements she uses. She is also seen rowing on the Seine near the Pont Neuf, a bridge that she feels a connection to.
Some snippets of her big hits are shown, like the immensely satisfying "Cleo, from 5 to 7", and "Vagabund", just to mention two. She is kind to the artists she has enjoyed working with. She gave the great Phillipe Noiret his start in the French cinema. She is also generous to other people that have done great things in the French industry like, Resnais, Truffaut, Chabrol, Godard, Demy, and Rivette, among others.
Funny that Ms. Varda was born not in France, but in Belgium. She made her home in the country which welcomed her. There is a sequence in which we see her and her family doing a kind of a slow dance on a beach that has to be one of the most moving moments for this viewer. This film is highly recommended even for people that have not seen Ms. Varda's previous work. She wins us over just by being herself.
"Les plages d'Agnes" serves the director to take us along for a magical ride in which reveals some things that one never knew about her, as well as she goes over some parts of her life we already knew. Her life with Jacques Demy and their work is often seen at different moments of their distinguished careers. The revelation of her husband's death from AIDS must have weighed heavily on her. Such a vital man to succumb to that disease is hard to imagine and one can only feel for what Agnes went through in that ordeal.
In spite of her age, Agnes Varda shows an amazing amount of energy. She sets most of the narrative on a beach in which she lets her imagination go wild with the possibilities she can create from the elements she uses. She is also seen rowing on the Seine near the Pont Neuf, a bridge that she feels a connection to.
Some snippets of her big hits are shown, like the immensely satisfying "Cleo, from 5 to 7", and "Vagabund", just to mention two. She is kind to the artists she has enjoyed working with. She gave the great Phillipe Noiret his start in the French cinema. She is also generous to other people that have done great things in the French industry like, Resnais, Truffaut, Chabrol, Godard, Demy, and Rivette, among others.
Funny that Ms. Varda was born not in France, but in Belgium. She made her home in the country which welcomed her. There is a sequence in which we see her and her family doing a kind of a slow dance on a beach that has to be one of the most moving moments for this viewer. This film is highly recommended even for people that have not seen Ms. Varda's previous work. She wins us over just by being herself.