Vagabond

Agnès Varda’s seminal 1985 film opens with the jarring death of a young homeless woman, Mona, found frozen to death in a ditch in the French countryside. From this startling beginning, Mona’s story is told via to-camera accounts of her by those who barely knew her and whose lives she touched during her final weeks. Committed to drifting, Mona moves through villages and small towns, from one random encounter to the next, all the while moving away from her former life in the city and towards her end. A stunning tale, brilliantly told, Vagabond features an amazing performance from Sandrine Bonnaire (Secret Défense) as the impassive, tragic lead.

Vagabond, Dir. Agnès Varda, France, 1985, 105 mins, French with English subtitles