Celebrating Agnès Varda

About the Doodle:

Varda was born in Brussels on May 30, 1928, with the name Arlette. The family moved to Sète, France when she was 12, and she studied art history and photography before starting her career taking pictures for magazines and the Théâtre National Populaire.

Some of her photos inspired Varda to make cinematic works, including her first film in 1955, La Pointe Courte, which balanced fiction with documentary-style discussions. Varda continued to make films. As a self-taught director who had not studied filmmaking, she had freedom from industry standards allowing her to break norms and help usher in the French New Wave. The New Wave movement was characterized by the rejection of traditional filmmaking conventions in favor of experimentation. She was one of the only female New Wave filmmakers.

In her vast cinematic career, Varda directed over 40 films including shorts, features, and documentaries about the complexities of humans. Some of her most notable works include Cleo from 5 to 7, Vagabond and The Gleaners and I. A self-described feminist, she featured women’s stories in many films. Varda advocated for women’s choice in the 1977 movie L’Une chante, l’autre pas, which she describes as a “feminist musical.” She partook in advocacy for women even outside of her films — notably, she signed the Manifesto of the 343 with other Frenchwomen, declaring publicly that they had abortions in the past and pushing policy makers to legalize them.

Varda continued her creative endeavors in new formats — she started video installations in 2003. Her immersive art installations have been displayed worldwide in cities such as Ghent, New York, Beijing, and Paris.

Varda's varied career can be appreciated today through her films, photographs, artworks, and books. Along the way, Varda earned several awards including a Lumières Award and an Oscar nomination for Visages Villages (Faces Places), a César Award for Les Plages d'Agnès (The Beaches of Agnés), a Golden Lion for Sans toit ni loi (Vagabond), an Honorary Oscar for her lifetime achievements in cinema and many more.

Agnès Varda charted her own path by self-producing her films, embodying the true spirit of artistic independence and creative resilience. Thanks for staying true to yourself, Agnès. Your unique perspective has and will inspire artists for years to come!