Jane B. par Agnès V.

"I'll look at you, but not at the camera. It could be a trap" whispers Jane Birkin shyly into Agnès Varda's ear at the start of Jane B. par Agnès V. The director paints a portrait of a woman, this time in a marvelously Expressionistic way. "It's like an imaginary bio-pic" says Varda. Jane, of course, is the famed singer, actress, fashion icon and longtime muse to Serge Gainsbourg. As Varda implies, Jane B. par Agnès V. abandons the traditional bio-pic format, favoring instead a freewheeling mix of gorgeous and unexpected fantasy sequences. In each, Jane inhabits a new character, playing a cat & mouse game with Varda as they explore the role of the Muse and the Artist, all the while showcasing the multifaceted nature of Birkin’s talent. "I'd like to be filmed as if I were transparent, anonymous, like everyone else" says Birkin. But her wish to be a "famous nobody" is impossible to achieve; Birkin is simply too magnificent, too mesmerizing. Here, Varda’s signature mix of aesthetic innovation and generosity of emotion results in a surreal and captivating essay on Art, Fame, Love, Children and Staircases.