Vagabond

A young, striking woman drops everything and for no apparent reason sets off to wander the countryside. In the middle of winter, Mona goes to the south of France – a spark of rebellion against everything and everyone seems to trigger her decision. Why did she abandon stability for an uncertain future? Perhaps, having heard a call of freedom pitched against apathy and tedious routine, Mona decided to get away from it all. She can afford to reject socially accepted conventions and makes it clear that by situating herself outside society, she will give it nothing and take nothing from it either. Mona does what she wants, goes where she wants. Where can this journey lead her?

Awarded the Golden Lion in 1985, the pseudo-documentary Vagabond is one of the most important releases in the career of Agnès Varda, an iconic figure of the French New Wave. It’s a film that celebrates the dignity of people who choose their own paths in life and asks questions about the limits of rebellion and conformity. It owes its strength to the performance of 18-year-old Sandrine Bonnaire, who won a well-deserved César for her part.

Piotr Kotowski

Agnès Varda (1928–2019) in Brussels, a symbol of the French New Wave, honoured with a dedicated complete retrospective at the ENH 2006. Her early films, La Pointe Courte, Cleo from 5 to 7 and Happiness are the foundation of the New Wave aesthetics. In 1984 she made a documentary-imitating Vagabond which won the Golden Lion in Venice. After the death of her husband Jacques Demy, she made three films commemorating him and in 2000 she directed the low-key, digital camera documentary The Gleaners & I. Her interests focused on both film and photography the whole time.

Catalog MFF Nowe Horyzonty 10. edition