Internationally recognised art and literary critic, writer and cultural producer. Published in ELLE, Glamour, Esquire and Cosmopolitan; member of the Union of Writers.
Agnès Varda was a Belgian-born French filmmaker, photographer, and artist who was widely regarded as one of the pioneers of the French New Wave and one of the most influential female directors of all time. Her films, which spanned various genres and formats, from fiction to documentary, from short to feature-length, were celebrated for their innovative style, social commentary, and personal vision. She was also known for her collaborations with other artists, such as her husband Jacques Demy, the photographer JR, and the musician M. Varda’s work was often inspired by her own life experiences, as well as by the people and places she encountered. She used her camera as a tool to explore the world and to express her curiosity, creativity, and empathy.
The Life and Career of Agnès Varda
Agnès Varda was born Arlette Varda on 30 May 1928 in Ixelles, Brussels, Belgium, to a French mother and a Greek father. She was the third of five children. Her father was an engineer who worked for a railway company, and her mother was a dressmaker who ran a small boutique. Varda grew up in a multicultural and artistic environment, where she learned to speak French, Greek, and Flemish. She also developed an interest in literature, music, and art from a young age.
In 1940, when Belgium was invaded by Nazi Germany, Varda and her family fled to France, where they settled in Sète, a port town in the south. There, Varda attended a Catholic school and later a lycée, where she studied literature and psychology. She also discovered cinema, and became fascinated by the works of Jean Renoir, Charlie Chaplin, and Orson Welles.
In 1945, Varda moved to Paris, where she enrolled at the Sorbonne to study art history and philosophy. She also attended the École du Louvre, where she specialised in ancient art and archaeology. She became interested in photography, and learned the basics of the craft from her uncle, who was a professional photographer. She also frequented the Cinémathèque Française, where she watched films by directors such as Luis Buñuel, Roberto Rossellini, and Alfred Hitchcock.
In 1951, Varda landed a job as the official photographer of the Théâtre National Populaire, a prestigious theatre company led by Jean Vilar. She took portraits of actors, directors, and playwrights, such as Gérard Philipe, Jeanne Moreau, and Albert Camus. She also documented the rehearsals and performances of the plays, capturing the atmosphere and emotions of the theatre. She developed a distinctive style of photography, marked by contrast, movement, and spontaneity.
In 1954, Varda decided to make her first film, La Pointe Courte, a drama set in a fishing village in Sète, where she had spent part of her childhood. She wrote, directed, and edited the film, with no formal training or experience in filmmaking. She also hired a non-professional crew and cast, and shot the film on location, with a low budget and a 35mm camera. The film, which alternates between the stories of a couple in crisis and the daily lives of the villagers, was praised for its originality and realism, and was later recognised as a precursor of the French New Wave.
In 1958, Varda married Jacques Demy, a fellow filmmaker who would become one of the leading figures of the French New Wave. They had two children, Rosalie and Mathieu, and collaborated on several projects, such as Lola (1961), The Umbrellas of Cherbourg (1964), and The Young Girls of Rochefort (1967). Varda also supported Demy’s career, producing some of his films and preserving his legacy after his death in 1990.
Varda continued to make films throughout the 1960s and 1970s, exploring different genres and themes, such as feminism, politics, love, and death. Some of her most acclaimed films from this period include Cléo from 5 to 7 (1962), a portrait of a singer who awaits the results of a medical test; Le Bonheur (1965), a controversial tale of a married man who has an affair; Vagabond (1985), a chronicle of the last days of a homeless woman; and Jacquot de Nantes (1991), a tribute to her late husband.
In the 1980s and 1990s, Varda also turned to documentary filmmaking, using her camera as a means of engaging with the world and the people around her. She made films such as Mur Murs (1981), a study of the murals of Los Angeles; The Gleaners and I (2000), a reflection on the practice of gleaning and its modern forms; and The Beaches of Agnès (2008), a playful and poetic autobiography.
In the 2000s and 2010s, Varda expanded her artistic horizons, experimenting with new media and formats, such as video, installation, and digital art. She also collaborated with other artists, such as the photographer JR, with whom she made the Oscar-nominated documentary Faces Places (2017), a road trip across France to meet and photograph ordinary people. She also made her final film, Varda by Agnès (2019), a masterclass on her life and work.
Varda died on 29 March 2019 in Paris, at the age of 90, after a battle with cancer. She was mourned by her family, friends, and fans, who celebrated her legacy and achievements. She was also honoured by various institutions and awards, such as the Cannes Film Festival, where she received an honorary Palme d’Or in 2015, the first woman to do so; the Academy Awards, where she received an honorary Oscar in 2017, the first female director to do so; and the César Awards, where she received a posthumous César for Best Documentary in 2020.
The Art and Legacy of Agnès Varda
Varda’s art was characterised by her innovative and experimental use of film techniques, such as editing, sound, narration, and montage. She also used photography and visual art as sources of inspiration and expression, often incorporating them into her films. She was also known for her use of humour, irony, and fantasy, as well as her attention to detail, colour, and composition.
Varda’s art was also influenced by her personal and social experiences, as well as by the people and places she encountered. She often used her films as a way of exploring her own identity, as a woman, a mother, a wife, a friend, and an artist. She also used her films as a way of addressing social issues, such as feminism, poverty, immigration, and ecology. She also used her films as a way of celebrating life, art, and humanity, through her curiosity, creativity, and empathy.
Varda’s art is widely admired and respected for its originality and quality. She is considered one of the greatest filmmakers of all time, and one of the most influential female directors of all time. She has inspired and influenced many filmmakers, such as Martin Scorsese, Jane Campion, Wes Anderson, and Ava DuVernay, as well as artists, writers, musicians, and activists. Her films have been analysed and studied by critics, scholars, and fans, and have been preserved and restored by various institutions. Her films have also been exhibited and collected by major museums and galleries, such as the Museum of Modern Art in New York, the Centre Pompidou in Paris, and the LACMA in Los Angeles.
Varda’s art is a testament to her creativity, talent, and vision, and a gift to the world of cinema and art.
