A never-before-seen short film by the late Agnès Varda has just made its online debut. Called The Little Story of Gwen From French Brittany, the documentary narrates the relationship between Varda and her friend Gwen Deglise, from their first encounter in Paris in 1996 to Deglise’s move to Los Angeles.
The film is free to watch on YouTube thanks to American Cinematheque, a non-profit dedicated to film history. It’s the first movie uploaded onto YouTube by the organisation, which is planning to move its programming online in the coming weeks in response to the coronavirus crisis.
Deglise, who is now head programmer at American Cinematheque (AC), said: “Today, now as head programmer of the organisation, I think back fondly on all the memories with Agnès, including her encouragement 26 years ago to move to LA and seek out the American Cinematheque. I cherish the long evenings spent together planning her events at the AC, as well as the wisdom she offered at many of life’s important moments.”
She added: “Of her many gifts: her curiosity was limitless, her appetite for life boundless. The endless inventiveness of her art shines through in her films and was inspiring to witness, and a privilege to be close to.”
Hailed as the grandmother of the French New Wave, Varda passed away in March last year at the age of 80. Over the last couple of years, her radical films have been recognised by the Oscars with an Honorary Award in 2017 and a nomination in 2018 for Faces Places – a reflexive documentary about her life and work, co-directed with close friend and photographer JR.
Watch The Little Story of Gwen From French Brittany below.