Varda by Agnes - Film Analysis

 

VARDA by Agnes- Film Analysis

Krutika Shinde

Varda by Agnes is the final film of the late Agnes Varda. It is a blend of autobiography and of her career as a filmmaker. It wasn't mentioned anywhere but I think Agnes made this film as her farewell to her own art which is filmmaking. 

The format of the film is simple. Agnes Varda sits in her chair in a movie theatre filled with people who are passionate to know about her career. She basically, shows a few of her clips from various films which she made throughout her life, and then she talks about it. It was like she was being a professor who lectures her students. She also uses various examples from her films in her class, which can be actually used in many classes across the world because those examples are from her movies which are splendid and are important as well, these examples tell us about her career, her working methods, about her passion towards making films and about her whole life as well. 

The thing which I personally liked while watching this film is that when she says that  Inspiration, Creation, and Sharing are the three words that guide her to make a film. Wow! This has a huge meaning. Getting inspired from outside, from the world and then getting inspired from it to make a film and then finally sharing the film with the whole world. That's what she meant. 

She talks about certain scenes from her film and explains why she did that, what was the need, what inspired her, the budget for the film and so much more. Every film of Agnes Varda shows us or tells us something about her vision and how different her vision is. She never abandoned geographical parts or the time which was consumed for the character to walk from her house till her work, by framing or cutting it. She showed us everything without actually cutting it. She showed us real-world situations without actually making them entertaining or highly dramatic. Agnes Varda also says that she finds small moments more absorbing or more eye-catchy than the big moments. Her films are mostly shooted around locals and this says something about her vision too.

She took her audience from her old days when she was young, to her current age of 90. She also says how she loves realism. Cleo from 5 to 7 is a masterpiece where Agnes Varda simply shows Cleo walking on the streets without cutting or framing anything, she shows real things, real people in the frame. 

This film is actually a documentary and even this film talks about her vision. It's like rediscovering her. This is a masterpiece documentary. Might watch it again to absorb things more clearly.