Daguerréotypes

In this counter-project to the loquacious explorations of social micro and macrocosms, Agnès Varda follows the pioneer of photography Louis Daguerre, creating moving daguerreotypical portraits of her long-time neighbors, all shopkeepers in the Paris street named after him. At the baker's, the hairdresser's, the tailor's or the perfumery, Varda merges with the customers, observes rituals of work, and asks the shopkeepers about their origins, their spouses, and their dreams. Another daguerreotype emerges from her empathetic observation of the lives of the street's residents: A rich social fabric. (mg)