Agnès Varda: Vagabond (1985)
@ The Auditorium at NEIU
3701 W Bryn Mawr Ave, Chicago, IL 60646
Opening Wednesday, October 2nd, at 7:30PM
VAGABOND
Directed by Agnès Varda • 1985
In French with English subtitlesAgnès Varda catapults us into the short-lived existence of Mona, a drifter whose lifeless body we first discover frozen in a ditch. She is just as the French title suggests: Sans toit ni loi (without shelter or law). Mona, portrayed by a young Sandrine Bonnaire, moves through life exactly as she pleases, following every impulse and nearly walking herself to death roaming through the south of France. Her cup is never full; she makes reckless choices without regard for the consequences to herself or others. The film presents a whirlwind of rumors and perspectives about who Mona is and how she impacts the people she encounters, who often question her moral compass and the reasons behind her lifestyle. Ultimately, their speculation is meaningless in the life of our vagabond. It would be a dream to possess confidence and ambivalence like Mona’s. It’s hard to look away from her enticing and feral charm. Those who cross her path envy and resent her. Does their jealousy stem from craving her freedom, or from finding her lifestyle unfathomable? Vagabond stands as one of Agnès Varda’s greatest successes, snatching the Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival in 1985 and winning critical praise for merging the texture of documentary into fiction filmmaking. This is a film as stubborn and stunning as its protagonist, and it’s worth relishing its ravishing and uncanny portrayal of a woman on the road with nothing to lose. (TV)
105 min • Ciné-tamaris • 35mm from Janus Films
Preceded by: “The Dingles” (Les Drew, 1988) – 8 min – 35mm
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Tags: Agnes Varda, Agnès Varda: Vagabond (1985), Albany Park, Chicago, Chicago Film Society, The Auditorium at NEIU
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