Ep #11 - Agnes Varda in the 60s

Agnès Varda was known as the “Grandmother of the French New Wave,” but really she should be known as The Queen. Not only was she the first female filmmaker to pioneer the style, but she went on to have a long and storied career, full of interesting and unique offerings. She made films right up until her death in early 2019.

During the 1960s, Varda was not only breaking down barriers of film and gender, but she was coming into her own style as one of the true auteurs. She focused primarily on telling the stories of those without the loudest voices: women, people of color and artists on the fringes of society. Join Bart and Jenna as they navigate through all of her films–shorts and features–of the decade.

The following films are discussed:

• The Fiancés of the Bridge Mac Donald [short] (1961)
Les fiancés du pont Mac Donald ou (Méfiez-vous des lunettes noires)
Directed by Agnès Varda
Starring Jean-Luc Godard, Anna Karina, Jean-Claude Brialy

• Cleo From 5 to 7 (1962)
Cléo de 5 à 7
Directed by Agnès Varda
Starring Corinne Marchand, Antoine Bourseiller, Dominique Davray

• Salut les Cubains [short] (1963)
Directed by Agnès Varda
Narrated by Michel Piccoli & Agnès Varda

• Happiness (1965)
Le Bonheur
Directed by Agnès Varda
Starring Jean-Claude Drouot, Claire Drouot, Marie-France Boyer

• Elsa La Rose [short] (1965)
Directed by Agnès Varda
Starring Louis Aragon, Elsa Triolet, Michel Piccoli

• The Creatures (1966)
Les Créatures
Directed by Agnès Varda
Starring Catherine Deneuve, Michel Piccoli, Eva Dahlbeck

• Uncle Yanco [short] (1967)
Directed by Agnès Varda
Starring Jean Varda, Tom Luddy, Agnès Varda

• Black Panthers [short] (1968)
Directed by Agnès Varda
Starring Huey P. Newton, Kathleen Cleaver, Stokely Carmichael

• Lion’s Love (…And Lies) (1969)
Directed by Agnès Varda
Starring Viva, Gerome Ragni, James Rado

Note: Far from Vietnam (1967) is mentioned briefly but not discussed for reasons stated in the podcast.