The Cinema of Agnès Varda: Resistance and Eclecticism

by Delphine Benezet

Agnès Varda, a pioneer of the French New Wave, has been making radical films for over half a century. Many of these are considered by scholars, filmmakers, and audiences alike, as audacious, seminal, and unforgettable. This volume considers her production as a whole, revisiting overlooked films like Mur, Murs/Documenteur (1980–81), and connecting her cinema to recent installation work. This study demonstrates how Varda has resisted norms of representation and diktats of production. It also shows how she has elaborated a personal repertoire of images, characters, and settings, which all provide insight on their cultural and political contexts. The book thus offers new readings of this director's multifaceted rêveries, arguing that her work should be seen as an aesthetically influential and ethically-driven production where cinema is both a political and collaborative practice, and a synesthetic art form.

Genres: Film, Research, Nonfiction

170 pages, Kindle Edition

First published April 14, 2014

Reviews

[Briana]

Agnès Varda is one of my favorite film directors of all time. For so long she was seen as the only woman within the boys club that was the Nouvelle-Vague but through the years and watching her films, I realized that she was so much more than that. The Cinema of Agnès Varda: Resistance and Eclecticism by Delphine Benezet is an in-depth look at her ethics, aesthetics, technique, her interest in feminism, and her use of space to tell a story. I am not going to pretend that I am a Varda expert because I still have much to discover about her. This book is one that has popped up a few times over the years but I finally sat down and read it. This is an excellent starting point for anyone interested in exploring Varda's films and photography on a deeper level.

[Courtney Mosier Warren · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love the cinema and art of Agnès Varda. She is a huge influence on my life and this book really gave words to the things that I have picked up from watching her films. While this is a highly academic piece, I feel like the book maintains a readability and for that, I give it 5 stars.

[Izzy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gives a great deal of recognition for Agnes Varda.

[Ludmila · Rating 4 out of 5]

she is the most inspiring person and artist i can't....

[Rascal · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very welcoming academic prose, but can't help but wonder if a lot of these insights aren't self-evident enough from watching Varda's films. This was probably more necessary before the widespread recognition that arrived with Faces Places.

[Jenina · Rating 5 out of 5]

You can divide my life into before and after being changed by Agnes Varda’s work — her genuine attention to others obvious by the way she assembles images, landscapes, and encounters.

Just pure love 💌

[Carmen Alvarez Gimeno · Rating 4 out of 5]

tkm Agnes.