Jane Birkin discusses the joy of working with Agnès Varda: “Truly happy”
Jane Birkin might have been born in England, but she has always been widely regarded as a French icon. She charmed her adoptive country with her slightly clunky grasp on the language and distinctive style, which saw her carry baskets as bags and champion flared denim jeans with a simple white top. These days, Birkin is still heralded as a 1960s icon, her outfits enduring as the epitome of French girl chic, and her music still echoing through people’s speakers.
Birkin contrasted the blonde bombshells that were popular at the time, like Brigitte Bardot, instead championing a more youthful brunette look. The actor/singer could not help but feel deeply insecure for much of her life, even when she was being praised in the public eye as a fashion icon. The societal pressures of looking a certain way often got to Birkin, who documented her worries about her body image in her diaries, revealing an anxious and reserved personality.
Yet, as Birkin got older, she began to worry less about her appearance, addressing the ageing process head-on in Agnés Varda’s film Jane B. par Agnès V. Released in 1988 in celebration of Birkin’s 40th birthday, the pair worked together to create vignettes that placed the star in various situations, such as the mediaeval world of Joan of Arc or in front of a mirror placed among trees. With each section of the film, Varda helps Birkin to embrace herself, believing that 40 is a lovely age – not one for Birkin to fear.
Birkin had cut her hair, shedding herself of the image she had previously been known for and always felt she was a prisoner to. Alongside Jane B. par Agnès V., Birkin’s new stylistic decisions helped her to feel more liberated. While filming the movie, Birkin also starred in Le Petit Amour (or Kung-Fu Master!), which Varda directed from Birkin’s script. The pair’s collaborations were both fantastic, and it seemed as though Varda really helped to draw a certain confidence and artistic freedom from Birkin.
In Agnès Varda: Director’s Inspiration, Birkin shared some words about her love of working with Varda, stating that their collaboration began after she sent the director a letter declaring her adoration for her previous project, Vagabond. Not only was working with the filmmaker a life-changing experience for Birkin, but it seemed to be a brilliant chance for expression on Varda’s part, too. “I realised I was making a film that was as much about her as it was about me,” Birkin wrote.
When it came to Le Petit Amour, Varda told Birkin, “Look, it’s not really my thing. But I think it is a part of you, so I must do the film.” Despite the two movies losing the money Varda made on Vagabond, it was worth it. “We must have spent a year together, some of it shooting at my house. She set up lights in my kitchen that my family tripped over and reflective panels that kept falling off walls,” Birkin remembered.
Birkin loved this time: “I could see it was annoying everyone except me. I was delighted. Agnès and I were truly happy.” Moreover, she praised Varda’s ability to balance motherhood, tending to her ill mother and Jacques Demy (who soon died in 1990), and filmmaking all at once. “Everything was more fun with Agnès,” Birkin concluded, recalling the time they visited an art gallery together during a layover in Spain. “If there was a bit of a risk, she’d take it.”
