Series

Agnès by Varda

Agnès Varda’s filmography spans over six decades and includes immense variety, making her work difficult to classify. She created French New Wave landmarks, personal documentaries, essay films, family dramas, and many films that are a hybrid of these categories.

Uniting her approach, however, is an unwavering curiosity in the humanity of people around her. Whether following one woman through an afternoon of dread and self-discovery (Cléo from 5 to 7) or painting a complex portrait of the social practice and survival strategy of gleaning discarded items (The Gleaners and I), Varda exhibits a profound interest in her subjects.

For audiences, Varda’s curiosity has proven infectious, and her personal presence in many of her documentaries offers an additional point of connection to her films. It’s easy for Varda fans to feel like they know her. This series celebrates her career and attempts to represent the diversity of Varda’s work, from her early French New Wave films to her 21st-century documentaries. However, it is a testament to Agnès Varda that no eight films can adequately capture the breadth of her cinematic art.

Curated by Jon Vickers and Laura Ivins.