FACES PLACES

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

No, I did not know about the pair before the film.

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

The film centers around the working class as a way to celebrate their lives. Unfortunately, they are often

forgotten for the more glamorous careers. But the working class should be in the spotlight just as much

because they perform the services we often don’t think about.

3. JR and Varda bond over their shared interest in creating and sharing images. Have you ever had this experience with someone else? 

I have not had this experience. 

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

Public art is an excellent way to make strong impressions on people about various issues. It is also a way

to bring these lesser-known issues to light. Guerilla-style street art is also another way for artists and their

talents to be recognized on a larger scale. For example, more people can see a piece on the side of a

building than in a gallery.

5. Both filmmakers appear on screen as a filmic personality. Which do you identify with more? Why? 

I identify with Varda more because of eyesight issues. My eyesight is not good and I wear strong

prescription glasses. So, to see Varda persevering despite her declining vision is inspiring.

6. Within the film, images are often used to conjure memories to further explore. How did this aspect of the film affect you? 

This shows the strength of photos. They are a way to freeze a moment so you can reminisce about later.

It also makes me feel better about the social media age we are living in. Documenting our daily lives, while

yes, tedious, is a great way for those who come after us to learn about what made this group of humans

tick. 

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? 

This was a good way for Varda to connect to their subjects in the film. It also normalizes that people,

specifically women,  age and it is not a bad thing. 

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? 

This was a moment of narrative satisfaction. JR not removing his sunglasses for anything but to make her

feel better showed how much he cared about her. It was the one thing she wanted from him and he knew

at that moment that it was the only way for him to show her that she was special to him.

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? 

This was done through the use of the truck. The truck was essentially used as the transition from place to

place.

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

I found Varda’s and JR’s quest to give a voice to people who may not have had one before to be the most

memorable part of the film. They did not simply take photos and leave. Instead, they involved the

community in their project when they could, whether by borrowing a parasol or having them paste their

photos on the wall. This is a good way to get people more interested in the arts.