In Conversation with Agnès Varda

Agnés Varda’s work is nothing short of prolific. From using her skills as a photographer, she has directed some of the most beautiful films in the last 50 years, from her seminal debut La Pointe Courte (1954), the Nouvelle Vague benchmark Cléo de 5 à 7 (1962), to her later international successes such as The Gleaners and I (2002).

Her camera has also served as an extension of her social and political conscious with a range of documentaries on subjects such as the Black Panthers, the Vietnam War and Castro’s Cuba; and also with more personnel tributes to her late husband Jacques Demy (The Umbrellas of Cherbourg).

Varda’s fictional works have been as subtly challenging and often with startling female leads, for example Sandrine Bonnaire playing a young homeless drifter in Vagabond (1985). In her latest film, Varda herself takes the lead in the autobiographical piece, The Beaches of Agnes (2008). It was critically acclaimed and won the French Union of Film Critics' prize for best film of 2008 and the César for best documentary. From her years as "The Grand Dame of the Nouvelle Vague” to her more recent works, Agnés Varda has retained all her energy, humor, warmth and sheer cinematic ingenuity.

It is Cinémoi’s pleasure to present to you this exclusive interview with a giant of French cinema and a good friend of the channel.

Produced by Minky Productions for Cinémoi