Wednesday, June 3, 2009

Agnes Varda, The Gleaners and I

This warm, funny, inventive documentary is both a diary and a kind of extended essay on poverty, thrift and the curious place of scavenging in French history and culture. Agnes Varda, an intrepid woman in her early 70's and one of the bravest and most idiosyncratic of French filmmakers, spent eight months traveling through France recording the lives of people who gather what others have thrown away or left behind. Varda's gleaners retain a resilient, generous humanity, which is clearly brought to the surface by her own tough, open spirit. The film is studded with found metaphors and serendipitous insights. — A. O. Scott, The New York Times

1 comment:

  1. I watched this film recently and immediately thought of your book, Jeff. Thanks for the link.

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