Show + Tell: Varda by Agnès
Okay, I’ll admit it. It’s been a very stressful few weeks. There was the historic and politically charged impeachment thing (which was unpleasant, whichever side you were on) and the hornet’s nest of the Iowa caucuses (and their unexpected train wreck). Add in the media blitz of the Super Bowl, the delectable tackiness of the Oscars, and the rising stakes of the New Hampshire primaries, and it would have taken more Zen than I possess to stay serene and detached.
But by the time you read this, northern New Hampshire’s midnight voters will have reaped their quadrennial moment of television glory, and you yourself will either have voted or scheduled your trip to the polls. And that means that things are about to get much calmer. And that’s a good thing. And, not surprisingly, I have a suggestion about an excellent way to avoid the screaming media orgasm of coverage and analysis of the results of the New Hampshire primary.
Come to The Music Hall Loft at 7:00pm and watch a marvelous cinematic autobiography of Agnès Varda, the French New Wave filmmaker who spent 60 years providing us with stimulating, challenging, and delightful onscreen experiences.
The movie, Varda by Agnès, is a summation by Varda of her own creative life. It’s full of documentary insights into the course of her career, her philosophy of storytelling, and story after wonderful story of her experiences as a uniquely collaborative filmmaker.
I can just about guarantee you a cinema experience that will leave you with a greater understanding of film and an increased admiration for Varda’s life and work.
And I can absolutely guarantee you that there won’t be a single precinct-by-precinct update on the progress of the New Hampshire primary. There will be plenty of time to check your news app later.
Personally, I intend to purchase one of The Loft’s excellent bourbons (on the rocks, please!) and enjoy both the movie and the following discussion. We’ll also do a little post-mortem on the Oscars and otherwise enjoy ourselves.
Please join me.
Paul Goodwin
TMHMG (And Man In Search of Serenity)