IDFA - The Gleaners and I

In the same spirit, people visit winegrowers to take home the scraps that were not gathered in the picking. A chef with a Michelin star can often be found in the hills, gathering ripe fruit and fresh herbs that he uses in his kitchen the same day. He believes in the idea that we should treat food with respect. Nevertheless, there are many potato growers who throw away piles of spuds because they are too large or malformed.

Still, they make great food, a number of floaters think, who also come across a tasty drumstick in a restaurant container to complete their meal. Agnes Varda films them playfully and affectionately and does not shrink from following side tracks when she encounters something interesting. Like the small clock without hands that is perfect in her eyes, because it does not indicate the time. Sometimes, she suddenly dwells on her advanced age with self-mockery or she films her one hand with the other, turning the film into a disguised self-portrait. Filming is gleaning, too.(IDFA)