Glaneurs et la glaneuse, Les

To glean is to see something beautiful or useful in something that is conventionally useless, pointless or ugly, and to make that thing even more beautiful or useful. One can consume the stuff they glean, or they could recycle it into an art form, creating a whole new purpose for the object(s). Gleaning also applies to our basic ability for survival. In the worst times of our lives, whether it's the death of a friend or facing poverty or illness, there is a way of seeing things positively that helps us survive. Thus, faith and hope are gleaned in the face of disparity. Scientists glean facts and turn them into theory. We glean possibilities every time we use our imaginations. We glean memories when we write (James Joyce was probably the world's greatest literary gleaner). And psychiatrists pay attention to what others don't notice by gleaning beneath the stubborn surface of our egos. This film blew me away in how it depicted how much waste our society makes, and the myriad of ways in which those who glean what we discard benefit society. But the film is even more than a fascinating documentary and social statement. As one can see from the concepts listed above, it's also a celebration of seeing our world and ourselves as a "cluster of possibilities." There are many theories that we are all in essence stardust developed from fragments of 'the big bang' and quintessentially, this film is about "gleaners of stardust." It pertains to those who metaphorically glean the hidden mysteries and possibilities of our world (i.e. the gleaners of dreams and ideas). Come to think of it, film lovers and the best filmmakers are in fact, gleaners by that very definition. Agnes Varda has proved that she is one of the greatest gleaners of all time.

　Varda 到法国各地去见喜欢捡拾东西的人。无论是因为为了生活别无选择、巧遇或寻寻觅觅、他们都尝试著去接触别人剩下的东西。他们的世界真是令人惊讶的，这已经不是从前拾穗者在收割後捡拾麦穗的情境。马铃薯或其它被丢弃的食物，没有主人的物品或是没有指针的时钟，这是我们这个时代的拾穗者。Varda 自己也是片名里的拾穗者，而她的纪录片是主观的。好奇心并没有年龄的限制。拍摄本身就是一种捡拾行为。
　　在法国失业率高达百分之十三的时候，媒体开始注意到，有愈来愈多的人在营业後的市场地上和面包店的垃圾桶里偷偷地捡拾食物。庞大的经济压力使得这群「不事生产」的边缘人屡遭歧视，政治人物的借机造势与挑拨，更使得整个社会弥漫著一触即发的肃杀气氛。Varda 却选择在这个时後，以温柔的眼光，将捡拾这种活动呈现出来。从摄影机的萤幕上看到自己班驳的手，七十二岁的老阿嬷一边告诉自己：「大限将至」；一边却又为新科技所带来，截取影像新的可能性而雀跃不已。

记者问：你曾经说到《艾格妮检风景》是在一些很覆杂的情况下产生的。你提到其中包括数位摄影机的诞生。
『我常用16厘米的机器拍片，但这里用了两台摄影机，其中有一台是数位摄影机。（……）我喜欢DV摄影机的原因是：我们可以看到自己正在拍自己。我把自己当成是拾穗者来呈现，真的，我是在捡拾资讯。』

记者问：《艾格妮捡风景》也是一幅自画像。你是有计划地将自己转变成是你捡拾的对像？
『我试著去看2000年的拾穗者是甚么样，也看2000年的Agnes 变成甚么样。我已经进入老年期了，所以，我看不出有甚么原因我不试著去纪录它。在我拍我的手的情况下，我开始拍自己，之後我开始说话，这是一出事先并没有预期的独角戏。在「拍」这个行为里有某种东西，在某种状况下：它会取代生命、将它重组、又将它拆解。白头发就是一项年老的讯号，手上的斑点– Jacques Demy 的母亲称它为「坟墓上的花朵」，这总是让我觉得好笑–我手上已经有花了，没有必要又提坟墓。这并不一定令人觉得恐布，但应该说：这是无法逆转的。』
与 Samuel Blumenfeld 对谈，LE MONDE, 2000年7月5日

2000年 Canne（法国）影展非竞赛荣誉放映
2000年欧洲影展最佳纪录影片奖

4444(创建者)