Faces Places

Faces Places

 

1. Before seeing FACES PLACES, what did you know about Agnès Varda

or JR?

    I knew that Agnes Varda was a screen maker and film director, and I knew that JR was a photographer that loved to print out his photos and paste them on walls in different cities around the world.

 

2. Why do you think the film centers so much around the working class?

        I think the film centers around the working class because JR and Agnes wanted to peak into the lives of people who put in so much work and effort for their towns. Focusing on the working class, they got to capture the lives and meaningfulness of peoples work, and what they do and contribute to society. It makes the film feel very personal, and inspiring.

     

3. JR and Varda bond over their shared interest in creating and sharing

images. Have you ever had this experience with someone else?

    Yes, I have shared the experience of bonding over creating and sharing. When I was working on my high school’s yearbook, I worked with fellow classmates who also loved to take photos and capture special moments throughout the year. I created bonds with those people, and we got to collaborate and create something special.

 

4. How do you feel about public art? How about guerrilla-style street

art?

   I feel that public art is very symbolic, and special. Being posted up on walls for many people to see, it can create many interpretations and capture the eyes of many different people. It can create a binding experience and enlighten many. It also brings a uniqueness to the public. I also love guerrilla style street art because it can bring out the cities past by focusing on images that mean something to the people and can tie people together. It can be very beautiful or meaningful. It can also stir up interpretation and make people think.

 

 

 

 

 

5. Both filmmakers appear on screen as a filmic personality. Which do

you identify with more? Why?

  I identify with Agnes more, she is a humble and passionate lady. She captures some of the photos and is teased by JR throughout the film, but continues to smile and appreciate the experience and people they are meeting. She is kind, with complementing the people they are photographing, and loves to soak in the moments being made. I also feel like I try to be appreciative of my life and take photos of happy moments. She is like me in a sense that we both are quiet, but kind and appreciative of life, and moments.

   

6. Within the film, images are often used to conjure memories to

further explore. How did this aspect of the film affect you?

  Throughout the film, I got to see how people appreciate their lives, and are so passionate of what they do. Seeing their faces light up when they see themselves pasted on huge walls, makes me smile and realize that life has so much to offer, and to appreciate everyone and anything I go through. 

 

 

7. Varda makes no bones about the fact that she is a woman advancing

in age, mentioning it in various ways throughout the film. How did

you feel about this?

   I felt a bit sad, but enlightened. She knows she is aging, and there are many upsetting factors that come with that. Seeing how she conquers her struggles with a smile on her face and continues to do the things she loves motivates me. Although she has trouble with her eyes, she continues on the mission to meet different people and hear their stories and capture moments to share with everyone.  She is very appreciative of her life despite her struggles, and that warms me with joy and appreciation.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

8. Even at Varda’s request, JR refuses to remove his sunglasses for

much of the movie. In retrospect, how did you feel when he finally

removes them as a genuine way to console Varda in a moment of

weakness?

It made me feel so bad for Agnes, since Jean Luc refused to see Agnes, it made her so upset, but when JR took his glasses off after being very stubborn about the fact that he would not take them off, it made me happy to see him finally coming out of his shell, in a tough time for Agnes, wanting to make her feel better, and opening up to her. 

 

 

9. This film has a very breezy feel to it, moving from one subject to the

next without any drastic tonal shifts or awkward transitions. How do

you think this feeling is achieved?

I think this is achieved by the soft music, and film making, with how they used clips of the towns, and beautiful scenery from one place to the next. It all came together and made sense. It felt soft and meaningful, every clip put together brought the audience to the town, and made the audience feel at ease, and made the mission of putting their art on walls to honor the people make sense. The movie was beautifully directed and filmed.

 

 

10. What aspect of FACES PLACES did you find most memorable and

why? 

     I found the ending to be very memorable and special. Throughout the whole film, JR refused to take off his sunglasses, and Agnes wished for it throughout the movie. They weren’t always close friends, they met to collaborate and make this film and bring joy to others. You can see their friendship strengthen as the film progresses, with them sharing their past experiences, and collaborating on this memorable project. At the end, you can tell they grew closer together and I find that very powerful.