Back in its traditional May slot, the film festival was in boisterous spirits. Week one’s wildly eclectic offerings ranged from Italian arthouse grandeur to Tom Cruise flying high
Agnès Varda was a leading light of the French New Wave, puckish and inquisitive, the creator of Vagabond, Le Bonheur and Cleo from 5 to 7. Critics called her the movement’s grand-mère but she wound up outlasting the bulk of her peers, scooping an Oscar nomination (her first) at the age of 89. She died in 2019 and was promptly buried at Montparnasse cemetery.
Now Varda is back, after a fashion, in the form of a dedicated cinema at the Cannes film festival. The Salle Agnès Varda sits on the beach behind the concrete Palais and will host what the French refer to as “séances” (screenings, to you and me) throughout this event. Formerly known as the Salle du Soixantième, the place has always been Cannes’ most rambunctious, unruly venue: a glorified wedding marquee, buffeted by the wind and echoing with voices. Wherever she is, I reckon Varda would approve.
