Agnès Varda’s extraordinary late-career renaissance began with this wonderfully idiosyncratic, self-reflexive documentary in which the ever-curious French cinema icon explores the little-known world of modern-day gleaners: those living on the margins who survive by foraging for that which society throws away. Embracing the intimacy and freedom of digital filmmaking, Varda posits herself as a kind of gleaner of images and ideas, one whose generous, expansive vision makes room for ruminations on everything from aging to the birth of cinema to the beauty of heart-shaped potatoes. By turns playful, philosophical, and subtly political, THE GLEANERS AND I is a warmly human reflection on the contradictions of our consumerist world from an artist who, like her subjects, finds unexpected richness where few think to look.
3 day rental • NR • 82 min. • French with subtitles
“The Gleaners and I shows Varda in full flower, ever reaping what she has sown.”
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Austin Chronicle
“[A] lyrically ramshackle essay about people, including Varda herself, who don't fit into society's cubbyholes.”
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New York Magazine
“The Gleaners and I is an exceptional, accomplished documentary that serves as a striking example of 'found cinema.'”
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Eye WEEKLY
“Urgent, graceful, accessible and at times openly cheerful -- it takes a big bite out of life.”
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Salon.com