The Agnes Varda Collection Vol.1 [DVD]

Agnes Varda used the skills she honed early in her career as a photographer to create some of the most nuanced, thought-provoking films of the past fifty years. She is widely believed to have presaged the French new wave with her first film, La Pointe Courte, which is featured here in this collection of her most prestigious work. Featured in this collection are La Pointe Courte (1954), Cleo 5 to 7 (1961), Le Bonheur (1964), La Glaneurs et la Glaneuse (2000).

United Kingdom released, PAL/Region 2 DVD: LANGUAGES: French ( Dolby Digital 2.0 ), English ( Subtitles ), SPECIAL FEATURES: Black & White, Box Set, Interactive Menu, Multi-DVD Set, Scene Access, SYNOPSIS: The Short Point (1955)
At the time of its release, much was made of the fact that La Point Courte was directed by a mere '25-year-old girl'. That girl was professional photographer Agnes Varda, later hosannahed by aficionados as 'The Grandmother of the New Wave.' Covering a wide ranging of sociopolitical issues, Varda's first cinematic effort, reportedly lensed on a budget of $20,000, is virtually two films in one, developed in parallel fashion. The twin storylines concern the simultaneous efforts of a husband and wife to mend their broken marriage, but Varda's interests clearly lie in what occurs around the two plotlines rather than the linear progression of the stories themselves. Edited by Alain Resnais, La Point Courte was initially dismissed by some shortsided American critics as being 'too arty;' it has since been assessed by one critic as 'the first film of the French nouvelle vague. Its interplay between conscience, emotions and the real world make it a direct descendant of Hiroshima, Mon Amour.'

Cleo from 5 to 7 (1962)
Cleo From 5 to 7 (Cleo de cinq a sept), per its title, concentrates on two hours in the life of a woman. Those hours are desperate ones, in that Cleo, a pop singer, awaits the results of her tests for cancer. Director Agnes Varda stages the film in 'real' rather than subjective time, its various episodes divided into chapters, using significant Tarot cards. During the allotted time, Cleo visits her friends, tries to sing...The Agnès Varda Collection (Vol. 1) - 4-DVD Box Set ( La Pointe-Courte / Cléo de 5 à 7 / Le bonheur / Les glaneurs et la glaneuse ) ( The Short Point / Cleo from 5 to 7 (Cleoo from Five to Seven) / Happiness / The Gleaners & I )