Varda, Agnès

(Arlette Varda / May 30, 1928, Ixelles, Belgium-)

   Born to Greek-French parents, she grew up in the south of France. Having settled in Paris, she studied at the Sorbonne and the Ecole du Louvre. Becoming the official photographer of the Théâtre National popu­laire, she hired two members of the troupe—Philippe Noiret and Sylvia Montfort—to co-star in her first feature film (La Pointe courte). She appeared in several movies (1956 Toute la Mémoire du Monde, short, Alain Resnais; 1992 Une Trame nommée Désir, short, Pierre Duplessis; 1995 Kûlônbôzô helyek, medium-length, as herself, Andrâs Fesôs, Hungary; 1996 Philippe le Bi­enheureux, documentary, as herself, Claude Fléouter; 1999 Georges Pérec: Lire-traduire, voice only, Bernard Queysanne; 2001 Léaud l'Unique, documentary, as herself, Serge Le Péron; Janela da alma, documentary, as herself, Walter Carvalho, Joâo Jardim, Brazil; 2002 The Truth About Charlie / Die Warheit uber Charlie, Jonathan Demme, USA / Germany; 2004 Les Fantômes d'Henri Langlois / USA: Henri Langlois: The Phantom of the Cinematheque, documentary, as herself, Jacques Richard), wrote some lyrics (1961 Lola / Donna di vita, Jacques Demy, France / Italy; 1966 Les Demoiselles de Rochefort / The Young Girls of Rochefort, Jacques Demy) and additional dialogue (1972 Ultimo tango a Parigi / Le Dernier Tango à Paris / USA: Last Tango in Paris, Bernardo Bertolucci, Italy / France), and collaborated as an executive producer on Lady Oscar / Berusalyu no bara (Jacques Demy, France / Japan) and Ô Pieds (short, Valentin Vignet). She was married to director Jacques Demy (1962-1990). Her son, Mathieu Demy (b. 1972), is an actor.

 Filmography

1956 ◘ La Pointe courte (also screenwriter, dialogist; shot in 1954)

        ◘ Ô Saisons, ô Châteaux (short; also screenwriter, dialogist)

        ◘ L'Opéra Mouffe (short; also cinematographer)

        ◘ Du Côté de la Côte (documentary; short)

1959 ◘ La Cocotte d'Azur (short; also screenwriter)

1961 ◘ Cléo de 5 à 7 / Cléo dalle 5 alle 7 / USA: Cleo from 5 to 7 (also screenwriter, dialogist, lyri­cist; France / Italy)

        ◘ Les Fiancés du Pont Mac Donald (short; in­cluded in Cléo de 5 à 7)

        ◘ Salut les Cubains (short; author of the com­mentary, narrator, cinematographer)

        ◘ Le Bonheur / UK and USA: Happiness (also screenwriter, adapter, dialogist)

        ◘ Christmas Carol (unfinished)

1966 ◘ Les Créatures / Varelserna / USA: The Creatures (also screenwriter, adapter, dialogist; France / Sweden)

        ◘ Elsa la Rose (documentary; short; co-director with Raymond Zanchi)

1967 ◘ Oncle Yanco / USA: Uncle Janco (documentary; short; also commentary)

        ◘ Loin du Vietnam / USA: Far from Vietnam (co-director; one episode)

1969 ◘ Lions Love (also screenwriter, producer, actor, composer)

        ◘ Black Panthers / USA: Huey (documentary; short; also commentary, producer, cinematographer)

1975 ◘ Daguerréotypes (documentary; also producer)

        ◘ Réponse de Femmes (short; also commentary)

1977 ◘ L'une chante, l'autre pas / USA: One Sings, the Other Doesn't (also screenwriter, dialogist; France / Belgium)

        ◘ Plaisir d'Amour en Iran (short; also screenwriter)

1982 ◘ Murs Murs / USA: Murals Murals (documentary; also screenwriter, narrator)

        ◘ Documenteur / USA: Documenteur: An Emotion Picture (also screenwriter)

        ◘ Ulysse (short; also screenwriter, cinematographer, voice, narrator)

1984 ◘ Les dites Cariatides (documentary; short; also screenwriter, producer, narrator)

        ◘ 7 P., cuis., s. de B... (à saisir) (short; also screenwriter, dialogist)

        ◘ Sans Toit ni toi / USA: Vagabond (also screenwriter, adapter, dialogist, co-producer, co-editor)

        ◘ T'as de beaux Escaliers, tu sais (short; also screenwriter, producer)

1988 ◘ Jane B. par Agnès V. (also screenwriter, dialogist, co-producer, co-editor)

        ◘ Kung Fu Master (also screenwriter, adapter, co-producer, actor)

1991 ◘ Jacquot de Nantes (also screenwriter, dialogist, co-producer)

1993 ◘ Les Demoiselles ont 25 Ans / USA: The Young Girls Turn 25 (documentary; also screenwriter, cinematographer, editor)

1995 ◘ Les Cent et une Nuits / USA: A Hundred and One Nights / A Hundred and One Nights of Simon Cinema (also screenwriter, producer)

        ◘ L'Univers de Jacques Demy (documentary; also screenwriter, actor as herself)

2000 ◘ Les Glaneurs et la Glaneuse / USA: The Glean­ers and I (documentary; also screenwriter, producer, cinematographer, actor as herself, narrator, editor)

2002 ◘ Deux Ans après / Les Glaneurs et la Glaneuse . . . deux Ans après / USA: The Gleaners and I: Two Years Later (documentary; also screenwriter, producer, cinematographer, actor as herself, voice, sound engineer, editor)

        ◘ Le Lion volatil (short; also screenwriter, dialogist, producer, editor)

        ◘ Ydessa, les Ours et etc. (documentary; medium-length; also screenwriter, producer, editor)

        ◘ Cinévardaphoto (documentary; includes three shorts: "Salut les Cubains", "Ulysse", "Ydessa, les Ours et etc.")

        ◘ Der Viennale '04-Trailer (short; also screenwriter, producer, actor)

        ◘ Cléo de 5 à 7: Souvenirs et Anecdotes (short documentary; also actor as herself)

        ◘ Quelques Veuves de Noirmoutier (documentary; also screenwriter)

2008 ◘ Les Plages d'Agnès (documentary, also screenwriter, actor)

 Television Filmography

1970 ◘ Nausicaa (also screenwriter)

1983 ◘ Une Minute pour une Image (170 X 2' TV clips)