Agnes Varda dead: French New Wave filmmaker dies aged 90

Agnès Varda’s family told AFP news she died at her home yesterday following complications with cancer. The statement read: “The director and artist Agnes Varda died at her home on the night of Thursday, March 29, of complications from cancer. She was surrounded by her family and friends.” The director’s work includes her creation of 1962 film Cleo from 5 to 7, Le Bonheur and The Creatures.

Following her success she became widely known as the mother of the French New Wave.

Agnès made history when she became the first female director to be awarded an honorary Oscar in 2017.

She also became the oldest ever nominee for an Oscar last year.

Despite being an award-winning director, Agnès previously revealed she doesn’t see her work as a “career”.

According to Vogue, she told press last year: “I went from one film to another, just trying to be an artist and I never saw my work as a career.”

Agnès was born in Belgium to a French mother and a Greek father.

She was christened with the name Arlette, but legally changed her name to Agnès at the age of 18.

At university she studied literature, psychology as well as art history and photography.

Following her interest in photography, she later worked as a photographer.

But the star’s interest swiftly dissolved, telling The Guardian: “It was so silent.

“What is before and after the snapshot intrigues me.”

She went on to work in the film industry and released her first film La Pointe Courte in 1955.

When quizzed if she was treated differently as a female director, she added to the publication: “No, I don’t think so.

“I didn’t see myself as a woman doing film but as a radical film-maker who was a woman. Slightly different.”

In 1977, the mother-of-two founded her own production company, Cine-Tamaris, in a bid to have more control in shooting and editing.

In the same year as her first film release, Agnès met fellow director Jacques Demy.

Four years later, they moved in together and were married until his death in 1990.

The couple have son Mathieu Demy together.

Agnès also has daughter Rosalie Varda with late comedian Antoine Bourseiller.

source: express.co.uk