La pointe courte

Trailblazer of the Nouvelle Vague, pioneer of French auteur cinema and true independent filmmaker are just three of the many labels often used in conjunction with Agnès Varda’s achievements and significance. And all three already applied to the young director, when she set new standards with LA POINTE COURTE. She shot the film with a small crew, little money, and hardly any experience, bringing young actors (including the young Philippe Noiret) as well as local fishermen and their families in front of the camera. In her film, which was loosely inspired by William Faulkner’s “The Wild Palms,” Varda interweaved two stylistically distinct storylines, blending real and fictional worlds. While a young couple from Paris tries to save their relationship, the fishermen’s livelihoods are at stake because of environmental pollution.