"In my films, I always wanted to make people see deeply. I don't want to show things, but to give people the desire to see." After studying art history and working briefly as a photojournalist, Agnès Varda turned to filmmaking. Between her first film, made when she was 25, and her most recent, made last year when she was 80, she has created some of the most stimulating and influential films of her era. Whether fictional features such as CLÉO FROM 5 TO 7 or her “ciné-criture” (film-writings) such as THE GLEANERS AND I, her films are marked by their singular sense of composition, careful juxtaposition of sound and image, and fearless confrontation with societal expectation. This ten-film selection features some of the seminal works of Varda, an artist New Yorker critic Pauline Kael termed "A full-fledged visual filmmaker...[who] sustains an unsentimental yet subjective tone that is almost unique in the history of movies."

Special thanks to Ciné-Tamaris and Janus Films, series sponsors Alliance Française de Portland and TV5 MONDE, the international French language television network, and the assistance of the French Consulate, San Francisco.

Join us on the panoramic parking rooftop at the Hotel deLuxe, SW 15th at Yamhill, for some warm starry nights filled with entertaining films, culinary treats, a little live music, and spectacular city views. The evenings begin at 8 p.m. with live music and refreshments. Gracie's Restaurant will offer easy-to-juggle meals, snacks, and cocktails, and additional beverages will be available from TAZO and BridgePort Brewing. The screenings start at dusk—8:45-9:15 p.m. depending on the light. Bring your favorite portable chair or blanket, but please, no pets or outside food and drink.

Thanks to our sponsors: Hotel deLuxe, the Portland Mercury, Zipcar, 94/7FM Alternative Portland, KPSU-Portland's College Radio, Peter Corvallis Productions, TAZO tea, and BridgePort Ales.