Agnès Varda’s Paris: An Intimate Look at a Cinematic Icon

Paris has long been a muse for artists, writers, and filmmakers, but few have captured the city’s essence with as much intimacy and insight as Agnès Varda, the legendary French filmmaker and visual artist. Often called the “grandmother of the French New Wave,” Varda’s career spanned over six decades, blending documentary realism, playful surrealism, and deeply personal storytelling. In 2025, retrospectives, exhibitions, and curated film screenings across Paris offer an unprecedented opportunity to explore Varda’s world, experiencing the City of Lights through her distinctive lens.

Varda’s Paris was never a distant backdrop; it was a living, breathing character. In her 1962 masterpiece “Cléo from 5 to 7”, the city’s streets, cafés, and boulevards shape the narrative, chronicling two hours in the life of a young singer anxiously awaiting medical results. From Montmartre’s cobbled streets to the riverbanks of the Seine, Varda’s camera captures the subtle rhythms of urban life, making the mundane luminous. Similarly, in her later documentary “The Beaches of Agnès” (2008), Paris serves not only as a memory-laden landscape but as a stage for reflection, nostalgia, and creativity, demonstrating her capacity to fuse personal narrative with city life.

The 2025 retrospectives at the Cinémathèque Française and Maison de la Photographie illuminate Varda’s dual mastery as filmmaker and visual artist. Visitors can explore her photographs, sketches, and installation art, many of which intersect with her cinematic storytelling. By presenting both the finished films and behind-the-scenes materials, these exhibitions offer insight into Varda’s creative process, her meticulous attention to detail, and her experimental spirit. She blurred the boundaries between documentary and fiction, art and life, creating works that were at once personal, political, and poetic.

Agnès Varda’s collaborations with other French New Wave icons amplify her influence on cinematic culture. Her partnerships with Jacques Demy, her husband and fellow filmmaker, were particularly impactful, producing visually striking works that intertwined color, music, and narrative inventiveness. Films such as “Lola” (1961) showcase Paris not only as a backdrop but as an active participant in storytelling, where architecture, light, and urban spaces are as vital as the characters themselves. Visitors retracing these locations can discover Passage Choiseul, the Palais Royal, and the Café de Flore, which continue to evoke the artistic vibrancy of mid-20th-century Paris.

Walking in Varda’s Paris today is an immersive, almost cinematic experience. Visitors can stroll through Montparnasse and Saint-Germain-des-Prés, following the same streets her camera once captured, and experience the cafés, bookstores, and markets that populated her films. Luxury travelers may even arrange private walking tours with expert guides, combining historical anecdotes with cinematic insights, turning the city itself into a curated exhibit. Every corner, every stairway, every market stall resonates with stories, reflecting the same intimacy and attention to detail that Varda brought to her work.

Varda’s Parisian vision was inherently feminist, presenting women’s lives with nuance, humor, and authenticity long before gender discourse became central in cinema. Characters in her films—whether navigating medical anxieties, social expectations, or romantic entanglements—embody independence, agency, and resilience. She often cast non-professional actors, integrated real urban environments, and embraced improvisation, ensuring her films remained authentic, fluid, and deeply human. Contemporary audiences can engage with her perspective through curated film screenings at theaters like Le Louxor or La Pagode, which frequently host retrospectives paired with expert-led panel discussions.

Culinary and cultural exploration enhances the Varda experience. The filmmaker’s Parisian world was never divorced from daily life—the city’s cafés, bakeries, and markets were as much a canvas as its boulevards. Visitors can explore Rue Mouffetard’s vibrant market, savoring fresh produce and artisanal cheeses reminiscent of those Varda filmed in her early documentaries, or enjoy pastries at Pierre Hermé and cafés in Saint-Germain. Even dining experiences can be cinematic: small private dinners can be arranged in historic Montmartre lofts or along the Seine, recreating the intimate Parisian settings that permeate her films.

Varda also celebrated experimentation and innovation, integrating multimedia and interactive elements long before they became mainstream. Exhibitions often highlight her pioneering work in installation art, photography, and even video essays, reflecting her dedication to storytelling across mediums. This interdisciplinarity invites visitors to see Paris as a layered, multidimensional city, where history, memory, and modern life intersect—a sensibility that defines Varda’s enduring artistic vision.

For travelers who wish to fully immerse themselves in her Paris, a curated itinerary might include:

Film and Exhibition Immersion: Attend retrospectives at the Cinémathèque Française and Maison de la Photographie, exploring both her iconic films and her visual art.
Cinematic Walking Tours: Retrace the streets of Montmartre, Saint-Germain-des-Prés, and the Palais Royal, visiting cafés, bookstores, and markets immortalized in her work.
Luxury Accommodation with History: Stay in boutique hotels near her favorite neighborhoods, such as Hôtel Lutetia or Le Roch, blending comfort, Parisian charm, and proximity to cinematic landmarks.
Cultural Dining Experiences: Enjoy market tours, private cooking workshops, or dinners along the Seine to evoke the culinary textures of Varda’s Paris.
Interactive Cinema Experiences: Participate in discussions, panels, and workshops hosted by local cultural institutions that examine her influence on contemporary filmmakers.

Varda’s cinematic Paris is more than a collection of streets and landmarks; it is a lens through which visitors can perceive the city’s layers, stories, and rhythms. Her films reveal how urban life, memory, and art can intersect, offering a portrait of Paris that is intimate, witty, and profoundly human. Each stroll through the city becomes an encounter with the past, informed by Varda’s unique eye for detail, color, and narrative.

The 2025 retrospectives also remind us of her global influence. Varda’s films continue to inspire directors, artists, and storytellers worldwide, reflecting the universal resonance of her approach to cinema. Whether through the vibrancy of Parisian streets, the subtle interplay of light and shadow, or the integration of real-life textures into narrative, her work embodies a sophisticated, immersive understanding of place that transcends time and borders.

Even for those unable to attend the current retrospectives, Varda’s Paris remains accessible through film festivals, online archives, and guided cinematic tours that bring her world to life. From the elegance of her characters’ wardrobes to the careful framing of Parisian streets, every aspect of her work offers lessons in observation, artistry, and cultural immersion.

In 2025, celebrating Agnès Varda’s Paris is more than paying tribute to a filmmaker—it is an invitation to explore the city in the spirit of curiosity, creativity, and elegance that she embodied. For cinephiles, art enthusiasts, and luxury travelers alike, experiencing Paris through Varda’s lens transforms a visit from a simple journey into a cinematic immersion, where every café, staircase, and street corner reveals a story waiting to be discovered.

Agnès Varda’s Paris remains timeless. Her films, photographs, and installations provide a portal into a city alive with narrative potential, reflecting the nuances of everyday life with elegance, warmth, and perceptive humor. For those seeking to combine cultural sophistication with immersive travel, following her footsteps offers an intimate encounter with Paris—one where art, memory, and city life intertwine in the most enchanting and unforgettable ways.

Header Photo Credit: Kilyan Sockalingum on Unsplash

About the Author

Vincent Laroche is one of our Los Angeles correspondent. Vincent is a seasoned journalist and cinema aficionado with a keen eye for entertainment. Hailing from Paris and educated at Sorbonne University in Film and Music, Vincent brings a wealth of expertise to his coverage of lavish galas, festivals, and must-see shows. When he's not uncovering Hollywood's and Cannes's latest gems, you can find him indulging in his passions for the piano, astronomy, sci-fi literature, and vintage cars.