Documenteur (1981)

A young French woman, separated from her lover, tries to find a lodging in L.A. for herself and her son.

Director:

Agnès Varda

Writer:

Agnès Varda

Stars:

Sabine Mamou, Mathieu Demy, Lisa Blok-Linson

1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview:
Sabine Mamou	...	Emilie Cooper
Mathieu Demy	...	Martin Cooper
Lisa Blok-Linson	...	Lisa, l'amie (as Lisa Blok)
Tina Odom	...	Tina, la serveuse
Gary Feldman	...	L'écrivain à sa fenêtre
Tom Taplin	...	Tom Cooper
Fred Ricker	...	Le couple du motel
Kelly Ricker	...	Le couple du motel
Charles Southwood	...	L'homme au water bed
Chris Leplus	...	Le producteur de l'autre film
Barry Farrell	...	Un homme de l'autre film
Andrew Meyer	...	Un homme de l'autre film
Delphine Seyrig	...	Delphine (voice)
Gerald Ayres	...	Récitante (voice) (as Gérard Ayres)
Joan Torres	...	Récitante (voice)

Storyline

A young French woman, separated from her lover, tries to find a lodging in L.A. for herself and her son.

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Plot Keywords:

triple f rated | little boy | angling | fishing | fish | 

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Genres:

Drama

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Did You Know?

Trivia

Mathieu Demy is director Agnès Varda's son.

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Connections

References Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope (1977)

User Reviews

Varda's Poetic Masterwork

Out of the few films that I've seen from the iconic French New Wave director Agnes Varda, "Documenteur" is probably the one that I found to be her greatest accomplishment. There's something about it's strange, cold atmosphere that really stuck with me, and the film is so well made that I'm surprised how little people ever discuss it. If it were a bit more popular, I bet "Documenteur" would be analyzed countless times and get as much praise as more well known Varda films (like "Cleo from 5 to 7")

The film mixes a realistic documentary-like style with a strange, borderline surreal atmosphere, creating a bizarre and experimental treat that made me feel oddly moved and, in one way or the other, kind of uncomfortable. It basically tells the story of a woman and her son living in Los Angeles, and that's really it. But it is made in such a way that it feels like its actually something much more than that. It is a film that is about emotions as much as it is about a mother son relationship.

It's also very well made, from the lovely camera movements, various experimental editing techniques, and brilliant use of voice-over, it truly is a mystical experience.

Details

Country:

France USA

Language:

English French

Release Date:

20 January 1982 (France)

Also Known As:

Documenteur

Filming Locations:

Los Angeles, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Ciné-tamaris

Technical Specs

Runtime:

65 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1