The Gleaners and I

The Gleaners and I

2000 · 82 min · FR · NR · 7.7 (147 votes)
Dir. Agnès Varda · Starring Agnès Varda, Bodan Litnanski, François Wertheimer · Music Isabelle Olivier
Documentary

Varda focuses her eye on gleaners: those who scour already-reaped fields for the odd potato or turnip. Her investigation leads from forgotten corners of the French countryside to off-hours at the green markets of Paris, following those who insist on finding a use for that which society has cast off, whether out of necessity or activism.

VIBE

A gentle, wandering exploration of overlooked lives and discarded things. It feels like a thoughtful, personal journey through the French countryside and city, finding beauty and dignity in the act of gleaning.

contemplativeobservationalwryhumanisticsteadydocumentaryautobiographicalcinéma véritéfolkloricresourcefulnesswastefinding valuesocial commentary
▶ Stream on Criterion Channel, DocAlliance Films
francecollectinghandheld camerasalvagewoman directorharvestfrench countrysidetrashpotatoesrubbish dump
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