Gleaners and I, The

France 2000, 82 minutes
Dir. Agnes Varda
In French with English subtitles
Rating: [Exempt]
Genres: Documentary

Aroview: A widely-admired work by the godmother of French film, which essays the wastefulness of western society through a clutch of interviews with various compulsive recyclers and scavengers.

The ‘gleaners’ include a cordon-bleu chef, gypsies, winemakers, artists (and the director), while supermarkets and corporates come in for flak for their mean-spirited tactics in discouraging urban beachcombing. As always, Varda works on a personal level and here, using digital video, finds a medium that facilitates her visual ideas in a horde of miniature poetic moments.

NZ International Film Festival 2001

Member Reviews

Average rating (Very Good). Showing 1-2 of 2 member reviews.

I find this review offensive! I don’t agree with this review. I agree with this review.
4 stars (Very Good) Worth your time. It's funny but (sadly) profound, meandering but focused, always warm-hearted, always inventive. The director herself is the most eccentric and fascinating of all the characters presented here. ~Toby Dammit
I find this review offensive! I don’t agree with this review. I agree with this review.
4 stars (Very Good) Agnes's artistic eye could see a documentary in all manner of things and her endearing approach usually bore fruit. ~Tubbs