The Beaches of Agnès

As French New Wave veteran Agnès Varda (The Gleaners and I) explains in her enchanting documentary, she's spent a lifetime filming other people, because “it's others I'm interested in, others I like to film.” In The Beaches of Agnès, however, the 80-year-old turns the camera on herself. Because she has fond memories of trips to the beach as a child, that's where Varda goes to speak about her life, illustrating her comments with archival photos, vintage footage, film clips, and dramatic recreations. Actors, such as Jane Birkin and Yolande Moreau, appear in particular memories, some of which, Varda says, “have haunted me for a long time.” Filmed in France and California, The Beaches of Agnès adds scenes of the director visiting significant locations that help put her movies into a more personal context (suffice to say, there's not much separation between the woman and the work). In chronological order, Varda moves from her childhood in Belgium to her adolescence in Paris, her years as a photographer, and her relationship with Jacques Demy (The Umbrellas of Cherbourg), who became her husband (their two children would also join the family business). In looking back, Varda also honors some of her collaborators, namely director Alain Resnais, actor Philippe Noiret (star of her first film), and avant-garde filmmaker Chris Marker, who interviews her disguised as his feline alter ego, Guillaume. An engaging remembrance of things past, this is highly recommended. [Note: The Beaches of Agnès is also available with public performance rights for $99.95: public libraries; $350: colleges & universities from The Cinema Guild (www.cinemaguild.com).] Aud: C, P. [Note: DVD extras include two shorts by filmmaker Agnès Varda on the “making-of” the film: “Around Trapeze Artists” and “Daguerre-Beach” (18 min. total), Varda's 2003 short film “Le Lion Volatil” (12 min.), a Varda bio and select filmography, a 12-page booklet including an essay by film critic Amy Taubin, and trailers. Bottom line: a solid extras package for a fine documentary.] (K. Fennessy)