I don't think I'll ever look at Millet's painting, The Gleaners, the same way after seeing this lovely film from Agnès Varda. In looking at the modern practice of gleaning in many of its forms, in the gentlest way possible Varda casts a critical eye over a world where an enormous amount of food goes to waste while so many are hungry. She also shows many examples of how the disposed output of consumerism can be turned into artwork, which is perhaps recycling in its purest form. That may sound rather dry and predictable, but it's absolutely not - the film meanders in all sorts of directions and it's done in such a delightful, playful way by Varda.
One of the more moving aspects of the film is how it reveals not only real need in the people living on the food they find in the garbage, but that there is often a higher morality in recognizing how wrong it is to waste, and a sense of sharing in these little communities. There is a rather profound link between those sifting through trash to survive, others who do so out of a mix of opportunity and personal ethos, and those out gleaning in fields after machinery has left large quantities of food behind, either because it's in hard to reach places or it's misshapen in some way. That latter group includes a gourmet chef, and Varda herself who becomes enamored with some heart-shaped potatoes (oh my heart when I watch her).
This isn't an in-depth documentary that tries to get to the bottom of things like why expiration dates on food are always so conservative, the possible safety issues with finding food in a dumpster, why the government itself isn't gleaning unwanted food and getting it into the hands of those who need it, or the environmental implications to wasted food. It didn't need to do all that though. It's quite powerful in showing us portraits of a wide spectrum of people, and a big reason for that is Varda's humanity and grace, which is inspiring. Oh, and that moment where she's drawn to the clock with no hands, my goodness, that was so touching.
One of the more moving aspects of the film is how it reveals not only real need in the people living on the food they find in the garbage, but that there is often a higher morality in recognizing how wrong it is to waste, and a sense of sharing in these little communities. There is a rather profound link between those sifting through trash to survive, others who do so out of a mix of opportunity and personal ethos, and those out gleaning in fields after machinery has left large quantities of food behind, either because it's in hard to reach places or it's misshapen in some way. That latter group includes a gourmet chef, and Varda herself who becomes enamored with some heart-shaped potatoes (oh my heart when I watch her).
This isn't an in-depth documentary that tries to get to the bottom of things like why expiration dates on food are always so conservative, the possible safety issues with finding food in a dumpster, why the government itself isn't gleaning unwanted food and getting it into the hands of those who need it, or the environmental implications to wasted food. It didn't need to do all that though. It's quite powerful in showing us portraits of a wide spectrum of people, and a big reason for that is Varda's humanity and grace, which is inspiring. Oh, and that moment where she's drawn to the clock with no hands, my goodness, that was so touching.