Agnès Varda. La Pointe Courte, des photographies au film

With La Pointe-Courte, Agnès Varda produced a radical film in 1954, alternating a graphic and realistic style that did not escape the notice of discerning cinephiles of the time. The film displayed an artistic independence that broke with the codes of the cinema of its time, to the point of being described as a precursor of the New Wave.

To prepare her film, the young woman undertook a meticulous selection of her photographs, from the 800 or so taken in Sète between 1949 and 1954. She compiled nine plates of reference and location shots, which inspired her to create scenes, atmospheres and even still shots for the film, which she detailed in a carefully written script. We’re not talking here about photographs taken on set or during the shooting, but rather those that pre-existed the idea for the film or contributed to its conception. Her preferred subjects and motifs are further confirmed by the rediscovery of period or late prints, reflecting her preferences and revealing a vision.

Carnets is a collection created by the Institut pour la photographie des Hauts-de-France as part of its program to promote its photographers’ archives, in collaboration with the publishing house delpire & co.