What a charming time you will have traveling with acclaimed French New Wave filmmaker Agnès Varda (Cléo From 5 to 7) and photographer-cum-street artist JR! The 89-year-old and her youthful ward—he’s 33 at the time of filming—roam all across France looking for people and stories to inspire the massive portraits that they will plaster upon the best empty wall they can find. The documentary uniquely combines insights into rural France and its dual artists. We learn as much about Varda—and a little about JR—as we do about their subjects. By the final trek to visit Varda’s old friend and fellow New Waver Jean-Luc Godard, expect to be just emotionally involved as they are.
Faces Places speaks to the universality of listening and respecting a person’s personal story, be they the daughter of a coal miner or a legendary artist from one of cinema’s most revered periods. Who else wants a sequel with Varda and JR plastering the walls of other countries with his gorgeous, touching works of massive art?
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