Angelina Jolie, Jane Birkin, Isabelle Huppert, And Others, Write Love Letters To Agnès Varda
Angelina Jolie, Actress and director
When I think of Agnès, I think of us sitting barefoot on
the floor after a screening of one of her films, talking about life and
laughing. How do I do her justice? She is a woman in full, who combines
grace and intellect with an irresistible sense of fun and lightness of
spirit. She has learned to find joy in life and she transmits that to
everyone around her. She’s not interested in conforming to anyone else’s
idea of what a woman or an artist should be, and her independence of
mind is part of what makes her so distinctive. I think her impact will
continue to grow with time. People often speak of how she broke new
ground for women filmmakers—and she has—but to discuss it that way is to
limit her contribution. She broke new ground as an
artist, period.
artist, period.
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OBRIST: How did it feel to be in California for that moment in time, and then to return almost 50 years later to receive an honorary Oscar?
VARDA: It was the surprise of my life. Those honorary Oscars are given to filmmakers and artists who they respect and admire, but who were never mainstream. I was delighted, of course. The room was filled with all these stars, and here I was with my family. In my head I was dancing, and then it really happened. Angelina Jolie gave me the statue, took me by the arm, and we improvised a little dance.
Thanks gaslight, Pride&Joy and SandieFeet k
