Although a key figure of the French New Wave, the late Agnès Varda’s importance and influence has been eclipsed somewhat by the legacies of her male contemporaries, Godard, Truffaut et al. It is only in recent years that her status as a pioneering figure is being reclaimed, to the point that in 2017, she was awarded an honorary Oscar for her contribution to cinema. Initially working as a photographer, Varda made her first feature, La Pointe Courte, in 1954 and thereafter moved with ease between fiction, documentary, and visual art, coining the phrase cinécriture - cine-writing - to describe an approach that combines all aspects of the filmmaking process into a cohesive whole. Varda’s eclectic body of work resists categorisation, though commonalities can be discerned; she exhibits a restless curiosity for people and places, a playful attitude towards her own eccentric persona, and compassion and respect for those living on the margins of society, recurring figures in her films.
Agnès Varda: Gleaning Truths will be available on IFI@Home until 15th July 2026.
