Rating: 4/5
Jane Birkin saw Agnès Varda’s movie Vagabond. Afterward, Birkin wrote Varda. Varda couldn’t read Birkin’s terrible handwriting, so Birkin met Varda in person to decipher it. They talked about their children. While walking in the park one Sunday, Birkin lamented turning 40 soon. Varda said, “Don’t be silly. It’s a wonderful age. Perfect time to do your portrait.”
They intended to counter the tributes to deceased actresses by showing clips from their old movies and interviews. This film will have clips from non-existent movies and fabricated interviews.
We played with the false to get at the real. We were in it together, the woman filming and the one being filmed, like painter and model.
The resulting film is one of the most personal documentaries I’ve seen. The artifice is present in every shot, whether it be Birkin talking to the camera or the camera in the shot with Birkin. Varda gives herself the role of camera, showing up to explain the rules. The camera captures every wrinkle and pore so lovingly.
Even when you show everything, you reveal very little.
I’m glad I watched Kung Fu Master before this, as it shows how much reality they injected into KFM and how little reality matters in storytelling. Scenes from KFM appear as they discuss Birkin’s writing the story.
I adore that Birkin told Varda she wanted to act with Jean-Pierre Léaud, and Varda hired Léaud for one of the fake movie clips.
There are so many little brilliant moments—may we all get such loving portraits for our birthdays. Birkin and Varda can do anything.