“In my films I always wanted to make people see deeply. I don’t want to show things, but to give people the desire to see.”
Agnès Varda, the French New Wave pioneer who for decades beguiled, challenged and charmed moviegoers in films that inspired generations of filmmakers, has died last year. She was 90. With her loss I inevitably think about how important her work has been for our generation of filmmakers, and particularly refocusing her influence on my personal work. Agnès Varda has deeply impacted the way I frame and tell my stories.
For Agnès Varda to tell a story means to focus on observation.
The magnitude of the impact is in the use of the camera, the movements, the travelings. The absence of unnecessary sound effects and the extremely simple composition of the shots, without mention the importance and masterfully use of the “off camera space”. The place Agnès Varda occupied is irreplaceable. She loved images, words and people. I am proud to have started my career as a filmmaker watching, laughing and crying with her movies.