2019 was marked by the death of a true mistress of world cinema, Agnès Varda. This one-day course will introduce you to her oeuvre, from her first feature film, La pointe courte (1955) to her final work, Varda par Agnès (2019), exploring her life, her career and her status as a ‘feminist’ icon. We will also consider how the digital was central to her ‘rediscovery’ in the 2000s and how it was key to her later career.
Learning modes and locations may be different depending on the course start date. Please check the location of your chosen course and read our guide to learning modes and locations to help you choose the right course for you.
Please note: We offer a wide variety of financial support to make courses affordable. Just visit our online Help Centre for more information on a range of topics including fees, online learning and FAQs.
A filmmaker who began her career in the mid-1950s, Agnès Varda was affectionately known as the ‘grandmother’ of the French New Wave, despite her more obvious affiliation with the so-called ‘left-bank’ directors such as Jacques Demy (her husband) and Alain Resnais. This day course will introduce you to Varda’s body of work, from her influential first feature length film, La pointe courte (1955), through perhaps her most famous film, Cléo de 5 à 7/Cleo from 5 to 7 (1962) and her eighties triumph Sans toit ni loi/Vagabond (1985) to her final work, Varda par Agnès/Varda by Agnès (2019), exploring her significant influence, but also her avowed position as a ‘feminist’ filmmaker; the course will also situate her output within France’s broader social and cultural context. The course will also consider the importance of the digital for her later career, proposing that one might consider her a broader multi-media artist rather than simply a film director.
What will we cover?
The course will cover the biography, career and film output of Agnès Varda. It will also introduce participants to the French New Wave and discuss Varda’s relationship with it. There will be some exploration of French society and culture as the context for both the French New Wave and Varda’s emergence as a filmmaker. As her career spans almost seventy years there will be some consideration of the changes experienced by France between the 1950s and the late 2010s. The course will also explore Varda’s far-reaching influence as a filmmaker and the extent to which Varda might be considered both a feminist and an artist, especially given her engagement with digital technology in her later filmmaking practice.
What will I achieve? By the end of this course you should be able to...
• Have an understanding of the importance of Agnès Varda as an internationally significant female filmmaker • Have a sense of her filmmaking output and the various forms that this took, from dramas to documentaries • Have reached a critical appreciation of Varda’s work and her relationship to French culture and society
What level is the course and do I need any particular skills?
The course is for all levels. Varda's work is wide ranging and accessible and is suitable for those who enjoy films that provoke thought and discussion. Please note that the films viewed and discussed will be subtitled as they will all be in French.
How will I be taught, and will there be any work outside the class?
The course will be delivered as an informal lecture/talk but there will plenty of scope for discussion and questions throughout. The course will be supported by screening extracts from a range of Varda's films.
Are there any other costs? Is there anything I need to bring?
You will require a pen and paper (or laptop/device) but the tutor will provide all other materials such as handouts.
When I've finished, what course can I do next?
Look for other Film Studies courses under History Culture and Writing/Film Studies at www.citylit.ac.uk.
Dr. Paul Sutton is an independent film scholar who has taught Film Studies in UK higher education for over 25 years. His research covers psychoanalytic and film theory as well as Italian and French cinema and critical theory. He has published articles in journals such as Screen, French Studies and the Journal for Cultural Research. He has developed a psychoanalytic theory of film spectatorship, Afterwardsness in Film, and published work on television as a form of palliative care, as well as an assessment of the films of the Italian experimental filmmaker Ugo Nespolo. In 2025 he published the ‘comprehensive and highly readable’ In the Scene: Agnès Varda, a book on the celebrated and much-loved French film director Agnès Varda. Paul is a Film Studies tutor and the co-ordinator for Film, TV and Media Studies at City Lit.
Please note: We reserve the right to change our tutors from those advertised. This happens rarely, but if it does, we are unable to refund fees due to this. Our tutors may have different teaching styles; however we guarantee a consistent quality of teaching in all our courses.
product
https://www.citylit.ac.uk/masters-of-cinema-agnes-varda179898Masters of cinema: Agnès Vardahttps://www.citylit.ac.uk/media/catalog/product/m/a/masters-of-cinema-agnes-varda-hf346-1080.jpg7979GBPInStock/Courses/Courses/Culture, history & humanities/Courses/Culture, history & humanities/Film studies/Courses/vm/Film season/Courses/Culture, history & humanities/Film studies/Masters of Cinema/Courses/vm/World culture2285117715801338520911340812285117716531580<p>2019 was marked by the death of a true mistress of world cinema, Agnès Varda. This one-day course will introduce you to her oeuvre, from her first feature film, <em>La pointe courte</em> (1955) to her final work, <em>Varda par Agnès</em> (2019), exploring her life, her career and her status as a ‘feminist’ icon. We will also consider how the digital was central to her ‘rediscovery’ in the 2000s and how it was key to her later career.</p> <div data-content-type="html" data-appearance="default" data-element="main">A filmmaker who began her career in the mid-1950s, Agnès Varda was affectionately known as the ‘grandmother’ of the French New Wave, despite her more obvious affiliation with the so-called ‘left-bank’ directors such as Jacques Demy (her husband) and Alain Resnais. This one-day course will introduce you to Varda’s body of work, from her influential first feature length film, La pointe courte (1955) to her final work, Varda par Agne`s (2019), exploring her status as a ‘feminist’ filmmaker, while situating her output within France’s broader social and cultural context. The course will also consider the importance of the digital for her later career, proposing that one might consider her a broader multi-media artist rather than simply a film director.<br />
<br />
Course tutor: Dr. Paul Sutton. <br />
<br />
This is a live online course. You will need:<br />
- Internet connection. The classes work best with Chrome.<br />
- A computer with microphone and camera is best (e.g. a PC/laptop/iMac/MacBook), or a tablet/iPad/smart phone/iPhone if you don't have a computer.<br />
- Earphones/headphones/speakers.<br />
We will contact you with joining instructions before your course starts.</div>253071407Masters of cinema: Agnès Varda7979https://www.citylit.ac.uk/media/catalog/product/m/a/masters-of-cinema-agnes-varda-hf346-1080_5.jpgInStockDaytimeSatKeeley StreetAvailable coursesOne-off onlyWeekend2027-03-06T00:00:00+00:00Beginners, Some experience, Advanced, Suitable for allMar 2027Culture, history & humanitiesHF0307979Masters of cinema: Agnès Varda635179Paul Suttonmasters-of-cinema-agnes-varda/hf030-2627<p>2019 was marked by the death of a true mistress of world cinema, Agnès Varda. This one-day course will introduce you to her oeuvre, from her first feature film, <em>La pointe courte</em> (1955) to her final work, <em>Varda par Agnès</em> (2019), exploring her life, her career and her status as a ‘feminist’ icon. We will also consider how the digital was central to her ‘rediscovery’ in the 2000s and how it was key to her later career.</p>0000-Available|2027-03-06 00:00:00<p>A filmmaker who began her career in the mid-1950s, Agnès Varda was affectionately known as the ‘grandmother’ of the French New Wave, despite her more obvious affiliation with the so-called ‘left-bank’ directors such as Jacques Demy (her husband) and Alain Resnais. This day course will introduce you to Varda’s body of work, from her influential first feature length film, <em>La pointe courte </em>(1955), through perhaps her most famous film, <em>Cléo de 5 à 7</em>/<em>Cleo from 5 to 7</em> (1962) and her eighties triumph <em>Sans toit ni loi</em>/<em>Vagabond</em> (1985) to her final work, <em>Varda par Agnès</em>/<em>Varda by Agnès</em> (2019), exploring her significant influence, but also her avowed position as a ‘feminist’ filmmaker; the course will also situate her output within France’s broader social and cultural context. The course will also consider the importance of the digital for her later career, proposing that one might consider her a broader multi-media artist rather than simply a film director. </p><p>2019 was marked by the death of a true mistress of world cinema, Agnès Varda. This one-day course will introduce you to her oeuvre, from her first feature film, <em>La pointe courte</em> (1955) to her final work, <em>Varda par Agnès</em> (2019), exploring her life, her career and her status as a ‘feminist’ icon. We will also consider how the digital was central to her ‘rediscovery’ in the 2000s and how it was key to her later career.</p><ul><li>The course will cover the biography, career and film output of Agnès Varda. It will also introduce participants to the French New Wave and discuss Varda’s relationship with it. There will be some exploration of French society and culture as the context for both the French New Wave and Varda’s emergence as a filmmaker. As her career spans almost seventy years there will be some consideration of the changes experienced by France between the 1950s and the late 2010s. The course will also explore Varda’s far-reaching influence as a filmmaker and the extent to which Varda might be considered both a feminist and an artist, especially given her engagement with digital technology in her later filmmaking practice.</li></ul><p>• Have an understanding of the importance of Agnès Varda as an internationally significant female filmmaker<br>• Have a sense of her filmmaking output and the various forms that this took, from dramas to documentaries<br>• Have reached a critical appreciation of Varda’s work and her relationship to French culture and society</p><p>The course is for all levels. Varda's work is wide ranging and accessible and is suitable for those who enjoy films that provoke thought and discussion. Please note that the films viewed and discussed will be subtitled as they will all be in French.</p><p>The course will be delivered as an informal lecture/talk but there will plenty of scope for discussion and questions throughout. The course will be supported by screening extracts from a range of Varda's films.</p><p>You will require a pen and paper (or laptop/device) but the tutor will provide all other materials such as handouts.</p><p>Look for other Film Studies courses under History Culture and Writing/Film Studies at www.citylit.ac.uk.</p>Film studiesMasters of Cinemavirtual637951HF030NONESat06/03/2710:30 - 16:3010:3016:301 session1One-off onlyWeekendKSKeeley StreetPaul SuttonBeginners, Some experience, Advanced, Suitable for allAvailable courses2027-03-06T00:00:00+00:00DaytimeMar 2027Culture, history & humanities7979Masters of cinema: Agnès Vardamasters-of-cinema-agnes-varda/hf030-2627<p>2019 was marked by the death of a true mistress of world cinema, Agnès Varda. This one-day course will introduce you to her oeuvre, from her first feature film, <em>La pointe courte</em> (1955) to her final work, <em>Varda par Agnès</em> (2019), exploring her life, her career and her status as a ‘feminist’ icon. We will also consider how the digital was central to her ‘rediscovery’ in the 2000s and how it was key to her later career.</p>0000-Available|2027-03-06 00:00:00<p>A filmmaker who began her career in the mid-1950s, Agnès Varda was affectionately known as the ‘grandmother’ of the French New Wave, despite her more obvious affiliation with the so-called ‘left-bank’ directors such as Jacques Demy (her husband) and Alain Resnais. This day course will introduce you to Varda’s body of work, from her influential first feature length film, <em>La pointe courte </em>(1955), through perhaps her most famous film, <em>Cléo de 5 à 7</em>/<em>Cleo from 5 to 7</em> (1962) and her eighties triumph <em>Sans toit ni loi</em>/<em>Vagabond</em> (1985) to her final work, <em>Varda par Agnès</em>/<em>Varda by Agnès</em> (2019), exploring her significant influence, but also her avowed position as a ‘feminist’ filmmaker; the course will also situate her output within France’s broader social and cultural context. The course will also consider the importance of the digital for her later career, proposing that one might consider her a broader multi-media artist rather than simply a film director. </p><p>2019 was marked by the death of a true mistress of world cinema, Agnès Varda. This one-day course will introduce you to her oeuvre, from her first feature film, <em>La pointe courte</em> (1955) to her final work, <em>Varda par Agnès</em> (2019), exploring her life, her career and her status as a ‘feminist’ icon. We will also consider how the digital was central to her ‘rediscovery’ in the 2000s and how it was key to her later career.</p><ul><li>The course will cover the biography, career and film output of Agnès Varda. It will also introduce participants to the French New Wave and discuss Varda’s relationship with it. There will be some exploration of French society and culture as the context for both the French New Wave and Varda’s emergence as a filmmaker. As her career spans almost seventy years there will be some consideration of the changes experienced by France between the 1950s and the late 2010s. The course will also explore Varda’s far-reaching influence as a filmmaker and the extent to which Varda might be considered both a feminist and an artist, especially given her engagement with digital technology in her later filmmaking practice.</li></ul><p>• Have an understanding of the importance of Agnès Varda as an internationally significant female filmmaker<br>• Have a sense of her filmmaking output and the various forms that this took, from dramas to documentaries<br>• Have reached a critical appreciation of Varda’s work and her relationship to French culture and society</p><p>The course is for all levels. Varda's work is wide ranging and accessible and is suitable for those who enjoy films that provoke thought and discussion. Please note that the films viewed and discussed will be subtitled as they will all be in French.</p><p>The course will be delivered as an informal lecture/talk but there will plenty of scope for discussion and questions throughout. The course will be supported by screening extracts from a range of Varda's films.</p><p>You will require a pen and paper (or laptop/device) but the tutor will provide all other materials such as handouts.</p><p>Look for other Film Studies courses under History Culture and Writing/Film Studies at www.citylit.ac.uk.</p>Film studiesMasters of Cinemaconfigurable
20911580Masters of Cinemahttps://www.citylit.ac.uk/courses/humanities/film-studies/masters-of-cinema1/2/285/1177/1580/20911/Courses/Culture, history & humanities/Film studies/Masters of Cinema
