Agnes Varda, a pioneer of the French New Wave, has been making radical films for over half a century. Many of these are considered by scholars, filmmakers, and audiences alike, as audacious, seminal, and unforgettable. This volume considers her production as a whole, revisiting overlooked films like Mur, Murs/Documenteur (1980-81), and connecting her cinema to recent installation work. This study demonstrates how Varda has resisted norms of representation and diktats of production. It also shows how she has elaborated a personal repertoire of images, characters, and settings, which all provide insight on their cultural and political contexts. The book thus offers new readings of this director's multifaceted reveries, arguing that her work should be seen as an aesthetically influential and ethically-driven production where cinema is both a political and collaborative practice, and a synesthetic art form.

Delphine Benezet's study of Agnes Varda explores the multi-faceted productions of this exceptional and influential creator, including her films (from essays to fiction features to autobiographical reflections) and her installations. Discussions of Varda's best-known films are accompanied by analyses of those that have received far less critical attention, and the author's focus on Varda's particular production methods, as well as the historical contexts that shaped her interventions, enhance our understanding and appreciation of the contributions of this unique visual artist. Benezet's book will be of interest to specialists as well as to those discovering Varda for the first time. -- Judith Mayne, Ohio State University Delphine Benezet fills a crucial gap in the scholarship on Agnes Varda by tackling her 'neglected films' and installations. Written in a clear, flowing prose, her essay illuminates Varda in a refreshing, new light. -- Florence Martin, Goucher College

About the Author
Delphine Benezet teaches comparative literature in the School of Languages, Linguistics, and Film at Queen Mary, University of London.

Reviews
There have been other excellent books on Varda, but this particular text, neatly illustrated with frame blow-ups, and graced with a detailed filmography, is one of the best, and also has the virtue of being the most complete... Pick up a copy now. Frame by Frame A solid contribution to the field... Unique in its precision and focus on the evolution of Varda's continual embrace of upcoming artistic media, technological advances, and social inclusion. French Review A relevant and insightful review of Varda's career thus far. LSE Review of Books



Book Information
ISBN 9780231169752
Author Delphine Benezet
Format Paperback
Page Count 208
Imprint Wallflower Press
Publisher Columbia University Press