VISAGES, VILLAGES/ FACES, PLACES

France, 2016, 89 minutes, Colour.
Agnes Varda, JR.
Directed by Agnes Varda, JR.

There is a great deal to enjoy in this documentary or, rather, cinema essay. It has great humanity as well as a delight in cameras and photography.

The French title is quite arresting but the English title capitalises on the play on words in the French title and gives us an English equivalent. In fact, there is quite a range of faces/visages throughout the film, both men and women, photographed for the documentary but also photographed for the installation which is the goal of the journey. And, as the filmmakers travel throughout France, quite a range of places/villages as well.

There is amusing animation for the opening credits, introducing the two central characters by sketch before we see them in real life. Agnes Varda is a veteran of the French film industry from the 1950s. She was a director, cinematographer, collaborator with a lot of the key filmmakers of the time including Jean- Luc Godard. And she was married to the director, Jacques Demy. At the time of making this film she was 88. In more recent years she had shown an interest in photography and documentaries with the feature film, The Beaches of Agnes.

And JR? This is the official name of artist and photographer and muralist, Jean-Paul? Beaujon. There is more than half a century in ages between the two. He is 33.

The film amusingly shows a number of scenes of coincidence – where the two are in the same place but do not encounter each other. Rather, Agnes eventually seeks out JR and proposes a mission. They will drive around France, not with any set itinerary, but rather an excursion of discovery. He has a van, The Outside Project, which has its own studio, cameras, and a capacity for developing giant photos.

And this is what JR does. He photographs what interests him, especially people, and with his loyal long-term team, he pastes them on all kinds of surfaces, seemingly the larger the better. He and Agnes enjoy meeting people, interviewing them, finding out about themselves and what their lives are like, then photographing them and installing the photos.

The audience will enjoy going to various locations, small towns, docks, goat farms, restaurants, factories, along a street of houses owned by miners, about to be demolished. There are scenes by the sea, and a huge bunker which has fallen off a cliff and has landed on the sand. The title more than justifies the focus on places.

And the faces are very strong: the discussions with the miners and the memories of their way of life are quite intense as is the talk with Janine, the sole survivor, who has remained in the homes which are to be demolished. She stands at the door of her house with a giant photo of her towering above her. At the goat farm there is a debate about whether the horns of the goats should be removed or not as they are herded into be milked and the milk turned into cheese. There is a huge photo of the goat on the barn wall. This is the same with a farmer who does all the work, formerly done by so many, on his own. The visit to a factory leads to conversations about work, and each shift taken in a group photo.

At the fish market, there are many photos of fish which finish up on the water tower of the country town. At the docks, there are interviews with the men but, especially with their wives who do substantial work on the docks and their portraits, head to toe, pasted on the containers on the wharf. Finding the bunker which has fallen off a cliff onto the Normandy Beach, Agnes offers a photo of her photographers from the past – but the high tide washes it away overnight.

There is also a visit to the house of Jean-Luc? Godard with whom Agnes had worked in the past but the visit does not turn out as hoped for.

Agnes has failing eyesight and needs injections – leading to the idea of photographing her eyes as well as her feet and toes with their finishing up on rail carriages.

At the end of the journey, the couple sit together, the animation returns, a gentle pleasure for audiences to remember what they have experienced.

1. A cinema essay? A visual tour? Genial and arresting guides?

2. The titles, the English play on words with the French title? The range of faces, the range of places?

3. The animated credits sequence? Introducing the two characters? The various episodes and their coinciding, but their not meeting? Shops, on the road, the bus stop, buying the cakes, the dance? Their finally meeting each other?

4. Agnes Varda, at age 88, the long career, in film, cinematography, her partnership with Jacques Demy? Her eyes, limited sight and focus, injections? The two colours in her hair? Her personal impact, genial with the touch of the tough?

5. JR, his name, age 33, his personality? His project, photography, art and installations?

6. Agnes seeking him out, the plan for the journey, no itinerary, going out on the road to find and to discover?

7. The portrait of France, cities, the studio, the roads, the scenery, the countryside, small towns, the mining town and the houses to be destroyed, the docks, the sea, the goat farm, the barn, the town restaurant? The trains and the tracks? The musical score?

8. The faces of France, men and women, the promotion of women, the men’s response?

9. JR, the Inside Out Project, his van, the studio inside, the cameras, printing out the large photos? His group and entourage and their particular work? Photography, pasting the photos?

10. Audience response to the photos, to the art, to the installations? The filmed episodes? The still photography?

11. The repartee between the two, the difference in ages, memories, JR and his dark glasses?

12. The range of examples for the photography, the mining houses, the discussions with the miners, Janine and her being the sole survivor in her house? Her portrait? The girl at the restaurant, her family, the manager and his saying that the restaurant had become famous? The goat farm, the woman and the taking off of the horns, the man in his opposite opinion? Photographing the goats? The factory, the two groups? The fish market, photographing the fish, the photos on the water tower? The man and his barn and his doing his work himself? The docks, the three women and the interviews, the full-length portraits and installation? At the sea, the bunker falling onto the shore, Agnes reminiscing about her photographers, the photos, the naked men, the choice of the photo for the bunker? Studying the tides? The sea washing off the photo overnight?

13. Agnes, her eyes, the injections, the photographs of her eyes and toes? Their being put on the trains?

14. The memories of Jean- Luc Godard, the inserts with Anna Karina, Agnes working with him, the memories? Her husband? Going to visit his house, not being at home, the notes on the door, her writing a note? Her being upset, his being inhospitable?

15. The two finally sitting together, the achievement of the trip and the art, JR removing his glasses?

16. A film of warmth, humanity, perspectives on men and women, work, on nature and the world?