The Gleaners and I

The Gleaners and I, Dir. Agnès Varda, France, 2000, 82 mins, French with English subtitles

A documentary about finding value where others see nothing, this beautiful and eccentric work is the result of Agnès Varda spending a year touring France to find and talk to the people who forage and salvage what is disposed of by others. Ranging from those who salvage to survive, to artists, activists and workers who use scavenged goods, the film ably examines class and culture, and finds time to reflect upon the nature of cinema and mortality, too.