A journal, a voyage through time. He photographs France, she rediscovers the unseen footage he has so carefully kept: his first steps behind the camera, his TV reports from around the world, snatches of their memories and of our history.
Depardon is engaging, but so reserved that he never quite comes into focus.
Gently moving and subtly powerful, this will thrill Francophiles.
Some incredible individual clips, but little in the way of a meaty thematic through-line.
Even in fragments, the humanism of Depardon’s gaze moves and inspires.
An engrossing and valuable personal record of the work of photographer and film-maker Raymond Depardon, depicting his autumnal journey across France, taking pictures of buildings and street scenes that he believes are in danger of dying out.
He himself is taciturn and inscrutable. Our only sense of his personality comes through his work, which is frequently stunning.
It's fascinating fare, offering both an insight into the emergence of Depardon's still influential "direct cinema" aesthetic, and an affectionate portrait of a unique visual artist and cultural archivist.
General release. Check local listings for show times.