Varda focuses her eye on gleaners: those who scour already-reaped fields for the odd potato or turnip. Her investigation leads from forgotten corners of the French countryside to off-hours at the green markets of Paris, following those who insist on finding a use for that which society has cast off, whether out of necessity or activism.

Year2000

CountryFrance

DirectorAgnès Varda

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Cinematic Threads

Varda’s documentaries, specifically The Gleaners and I… She shoots on digital, uses a lot of handheld camera, and is often performing in her own films. She’s just so fearless and curious. Her observational style really influenced me for It Felt Like Love because that film was very much about exploring a place and a community through the eyes of a character.