Per Agnès Varda, there are three stages to making a film. First, inspiration, because the idea must come from somewhere. Then, creation, because the idea must be brought to life. Finally, sharing, because you do not make movies to keep them to yourself. With these three tenets in mind, filmmaking is no longer a grand, complicated pursuit. Instead, it becomes simple and spontaneous. Accessible and lighthearted. Not so much an attempt at explaining the world but a celebration of what is possible in story. Understanding this is understanding Mme. Varda, whose films are filled to the brim with this energy. From an hour and a half in a French singer’s life, to a hundred-year-old man who represents cinema, to a triptych about potatoes, each one of Varda’s creations shouts “Come look! Look at this interesting thing!”
Varda by Agnès does so well to capture this joyful spirit. The film is composed of several different talks she gave (at opera halls, schools, and museums) that serve as a commentary on her art. It makes no attempt at a unifying theme or a moral lesson. Instead, it is simply an opportunity for the French icon to spend some time talking about the things she has made. It is written by Varda, directed by Varda, acted in by Varda, and edited by Varda. It is the story of Agnès Varda’s career as an artist as told by Agnès Varda, because who else would qualify for the task?
Additionally, it is a fun story to follow. Varda is extremely humorous and her love for art shines through clearly. None of her work is put on a pedestal. Instead, she giggles about convincing De Niro to float around on a pond for a day and celebrates colorful plastic floaties like a 9-year-old kid in a 90-year-old body. It’s not all about her cinema, and the latter half of the documentary, to do more with her exhibits and displays, is probably less engaging than the first (though that may just be the opinion of a single-medium aesthete). The film is certainly not comprehensive, nor does it claim to be entirely coherent. Varda talks and we listen, perhaps gaining a better sense of her genius, perhaps just happy to hear what she has to say. It’s certainly not a mournful eulogy. Varda wouldn’t have wanted that. Her passing last year only meant her energy would continue in another form. She lives on somewhere else now, directing angels in glorious feminist anthems. And her work lives on forever.
3.5/5 STARS