The World of Jacques Demy

Agnès Varda's 1995 documentary is about the cinema of her husband Jacques Demy. Varda does not take the films in order; instead she talks with audiences, performers and the people Demy worked with. The method is recollection. People in the street are asked about songs from the films, actors describe the sets, and locations are shown as they are now; the narrative asks how the work goes on living. Catherine Deneuve, Anouk Aimée and Danielle Darrieux speak. Varda had already made a film about her husband's childhood, and this documentary was made as its companion. Demy had died in 1990. Who it's for: those who like French cinema and portraits of directors. Who it's not for: viewers who do not know Demy's films; the documentary does not explain the context and uses clips throughout.