The gleaners and I: An idiosyncratic, self-reflexive documentary in which Agnès Varda explores the world of modern-day gleaners: those living on the margins who survive by foraging for what society throws away. Embracing the intimacy and freedom of digital filmmaking, Varda posits herself as a kind of gleaner of images and ideas, one whose generous, expansive vision makes room for ruminations on everything from aging to the birth of cinema to the beauty of heart-shaped potatoes. By turns playful, philosophical, and subtly political, the film is a reflection on the contradictions of our consumerist world from an artist who, like her subjects, finds unexpected richness where few think to look.
The gleaners and I: two years later: A grace note to the original film The gleaners and I, that takes us deeper into the world of those who find purpose and beauty in the refuse of society. Revisiting many of the original film's subjects to explore the often unexpected effects that their participation in the project has had on their lives, this wonderfully warm and human epilogue once again takes gleaning as the starting point from which to explore what most interests Varda: the richness, complexity, and poignancy of life outside the mainstream. What emerges is a crazy-quilt tapestry of the personal, the political, and the esoteric that celebrates the spirit and creativity of those who forge their own path.