In the Scene: Agnes Varda

by Paul Sutton

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Pub Date Nov 25 2025 | Archive Date Not set

Arts & Photography | Entertainment & Pop Culture | Nonfiction (Adult)

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Description

Agnès Varda was a pioneer of French cinema whose work remains as relevant as ever, a testament to her artistic vision, her intellectual curiosity, and her compassion for the world around her. With a detailed exploration of the life and work of the celebrated filmmaker, the book considers key films in terms of Varda’s life, the cultural context of their production, as well as their primary themes.

Starting with Varda’s ‘analogue’ period and her first film La Pointe Courte in 1955 up to the end of the 1990s, the book covers Varda’s short films and documentaries as well as key feature films such as Cleo from 5 to 7 and Happiness, followed by an exploration of her ‘digital’ phase from The Gleaners and I (2000) to Varda by Agnès (2019).

Always ahead of its time, Varda’s work often blended documentary and fiction, showing an openness to experimentation through her unique personal expression. She became an iconic figure in the world of cinema, celebrated for her originality, her empathy, and her trailblazing contributions to filmmaking. Her reputation as one of the world’s most important and influential filmmakers continues to grow.

About the author

Dr. Paul Sutton is an independent film scholar who has taught Film Studies in UK higher education for over 25 years. His research covers psychoanalytic and film theory as well as Italian and French cinema and critical theory.

Advance Praise

for this title:

"Agnès Varda was a unique and much-loved filmmaker and artist whose work ranged across photography, cinema and contemporary art in a career that lasted over 60 years. Paul Sutton’s comprehensive and highly readable book covers her life and work with commendable thoroughness, including plentiful biographical detail, a developed sense of her cultural context, and illuminating critical insights. Its film-by-film format makes it an ideal companion for those exploring Varda’s work for the first time as well as for those wishing to extend their familiarity with the faces and places of her world. Highly recommended for students and teachers, newcomers and adepts alike." - Chris Darke, writer and film critic

"This is a fabulously worthwhile addition to the ever-growing corpus of scholarly attention to Varda’s lifeworks by one of my favourite writers on cinema. Sutton builds brilliantly on earlier studies, adding to them a detailed sense of almost the entirety of Varda’s biography and her oeuvre, paying particularly valuable attention to the films and digital collections, exhibitions and installations of her final years. The book concludes by offering up a remarkable bibliography and filmography that, like the volume as a whole, provides a wonderfully informative overview of the work of a truly essential artist." – Catherine Grant, film scholar and video essayist

for previous books in the series:

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“From his early films in Taiwan to his most recent films this gives insight into the director, his life and the incredible range of styles and subjects Lee has covered in his work.” **** — Amazon reviewer

“… provides useful insight into the director’s background and motivations and offers easy-to-read reviews of his numerous films, documentaries and exhibitions. An invaluable guide to the incredible work Steve McQueen has produced since his time as an art student until today.”

– Tony Warner, co-founder, chair of African Odysseys programme

“A highly readable and wide-ranging consideration of McQueen’s work.”

– Kirkus reviews

for this title:

"Agnès Varda was a unique and much-loved filmmaker and artist whose work ranged across photography, cinema and contemporary art in a career that lasted over 60 years. Paul Sutton’s...

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Available Editions

EDITION	Paperback
ISBN	9781913641535
PRICE	£14.99 (GBP)
PAGES	320

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