Beaches of Agnes

Saturday, September 17, 2022

BEACHES OF AGNES – Agnès Varda, France, 2008, 112 min, in French with English subtitles

“If we opened people up, we’d find landscapes. If we opened me up, we’d find beaches.” Originally intended to be Agnès Varda’s farewell to filmmaking, this enchanting self-portrait, made in her eightieth year, is a freewheeling journey through her life, career, and artistic philosophy. Revisiting the places that shaped her—from the North Sea beaches of Belgium where she spent her childhood to the Mediterranean village where she shot her first film to the boardwalks of Los Angeles where she lived with her husband Jacques Demy—Varda reflects on a lifetime of creation and inspiration, successes and setbacks, heartbreak and joy. Replete with images of wonder and whimsy—the ocean reflected in a kaleidoscope of mirrors, the streets of Paris transformed into an urban sand beach, the filmmaker herself ensconced in the belly of a whale—The Beaches of Agnès is the record of a life lived fully and passionately in the name of cinema.

Screening with Documentary Now season 53 episode 6: “Trouver Frisson” – 24 min – US Premiere!

Celebrated French filmmaker Ida Leos (Rovère) searches for why she no longer experiences “frisson” – the goosebumps that have always been her guide.

Screening as part of the series Documentary Now…And Forever!

• Running Time 106 minutes
• Accessibility Assistive Listening, T-Coil

IFC Center does not generally provide advisories about subject matter or potentially triggering content in films, as sensitivities vary from person to person. In addition to the synopses, trailers and other links on our website, further information about content and age-appropriateness for specific films can be found on Common Sense Media, IMDb and DoesTheDogDie.com as well as through general internet searches.