Introductions by Annette Insdorf on Dec. 29 and Rosalie Varda on Jan. 5

As she neared her 80th birthday, Varda was thinking of beaches: the fishing boats of her childhood in Sète, her walks with Jacques Demy on the shores of Noirmoutier, her late-sixties sojourn to the California coast. Following this thread, she collaged a poignant work of cinematic memoir. The Beaches of Agnès offers a remarkable glimpse of the history Varda lived through, spanning World War II, the Cuban Revolution, and the rise of the feminist movement in France; and it’s equally meditative on the films and art that spoke to her throughout her life. But as she travels back in time, Varda is most moved by remembering long-lost friends, and wonders how much a photograph can protect their memories from the washing of the tide.

Playing as part of Varda: A Retrospective, December 20-January 6. See showtimes & get tickets.