Film as Autobiographical Essay; Mirror, Reenactments and Voice in The Beaches of Agnès (2008) by Agnès Varda
Abstract: This thesis provides a formal analysis of Agnès Varda’s documentary The Beaches of Agnès (2008), focusing on how the formal elements in the film such as voice-over, reenactments and the use of mirrors create a sense of self-awareness in the film. Through Agnès Varda’s extensive body of work it is possible to see the historical movement of the essay film, from its relation to the French Cinema from the 1950s through its growth and expansion to the digital world. Varda incorporates the traditional categories of fiction and nonfiction film, poem, cinema and photography through her different essay films, including Jacquot de Nantes (1991), The Gleaners and I (2000), and The Beaches of Agnès (2008). The category of "essay film" has in recent years become one of the leading non-fiction hybrid forms. Essay films are characterized by a subjective and personal style. They cross the borders between fiction and nonfiction through self-reflexive techniques. In this context, The Beaches of Agnès has an important meaning, which is analyzed and contextualized with relevant theories on documentary and essay film. The findings open up a general discussion of the essay film, and the meaning of self-awareness in cinema. It opens up a debate about the meaning of subjectivity and objectivity in documentary, and it contributes to a deeper analysis of Agnès Varda´s artistic career and a further study of the essay film as film genre.
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