Kung-Fu Master!
Varda: A Retrospective
December 20, 2019 - January 6, 2020
Jane Birkin (who also conceived the story) gives one of her finest performances in Varda’s one-of-a-kind romance. She plays a 40-year-old divorcée who falls in love with her daughter’s 14-year-old classmate—an eyebrow-raising premise that’s treated with surprising tenderness.
Introduction by Rosalie Varda on January 6
In one of her finest, most vulnerable performances, Jane Birkin is a 40-year-old divorcée who falls in love with her daughter’s 14-year-old, video-game-obsessed classmate, played by Mathieu Demy, son of Varda and filmmaker Jacques Demy. This eyebrow-raising premise is presented with surprising sympathy and tenderness, a radical challenge to audience identification and an all-too-rare exploration of female subjectivity. Throughout, Varda interweaves snapshots of the AIDS crisis, adding a pointed sociopolitical subtext to this one-of-a-kind romance. Based on an original story by Birkin, Kung-Fu Master! is a true family affair, featuring appearances from the actress’s daughters (Charlotte Gainsbourg and Lou Doillon), parents, and brother.
Playing as part of Varda: A Retrospective, December 20-January 6. See showtimes & get tickets.
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