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The Gleaners and I is a wonderful and poetic documentary from the uniquely talented French filmmaker Agnes Varda. Not only does Varda capture gleaners, but she is more focused on blending in those connected to gleaners, and even adds personal touches of aging, and cinema. What else would you expect from this imaginative and visionary French New Wave filmmaker! Varda takes the subject and manages to make this rather standard documentary something rare and important. Ultimately the film becomes more personal, and experimenting and even examinations the role of the filmmaker. The Gleaners and I also manages to be a film that speaks politically as it essentially represents personal individuality amongst a society of conformity and expectations. It's pretty amazing how many levels such a simple film like this has and Varda should be applauded. The Gleaners and I is equally moving, interesting, poetic, and fun.
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