The Gleaners And I (1999)

Late one Sunday evening, dreading work the next day and coming off a fading headache, I browsed around for half an hour thinking about what to watch, not interested in dramatics or action, and eventually felt despondent. Then on a whim, I thought I’d watch something by Agnes Varda and picked The Gleaners And I […]

Dick Johnson Is Dead (2020)

Available to watch on Netflix is a new documentary by Kirsten Johnson called Dick Johnson Is Dead (2020). Who is Dick Johnson? Dick Johnson is Kirsten the director’s father and it is a look at the subject of death by having her dad star in fake constructions of his potential death – walking on the […]

The Work (2017)

The Work (2017) is a documentary about a therapy program at Folsom Prison called Inside Circle, which focuses on those who are incarcerated. For a four day workshop, non-prisoners are invited to volunteer their time and participate in the treatment. Following three free men who have agreed to be part of Inside Circle, the film […]

Uncle Yanco (1967)

Thank you to Mubi’s ‘Voila Varda’ segment, which sadly expired on their Library feature, and to Lyndon Blue for recommending Uncle Yanco (1967), a short film that Agnes Varda made while she was in San Francisco (while her husband Jacques Demy was making Model Shop). It’s basically a colourful, warm tribute to Agnes connecting with […]

Salesman (1969)

Ten minutes into the documentary Salesman (1969), I had to say out loud, “What a miserable business.” Filmed in the cinema verite style, just following real people without any talking heads interviews or narration, filmmakers Albert and David Maysles and Charlotte Zwerin pioneered the narrative non-fiction film with Salesman, their attempt to do for cinema […]