Daguerréotypes

Ladies and gentlemen...

it's my honor to bring you a film called...

Daguerréotypes.

As you know, a daguerreotype was an early kind of photograph

first produced by Louis Daguerre in 1839.

But this is a motion picture shot in 1975

on Rue Daguerre in Paris

by Agnès Varda and a few technicians such as...

Nurith Aviv, William Lubchansky,

Roland Vincent, Michel Thiriet,

and Christian Bachmann for the image...

Antoine Bonfanti and Jeff Auger for the sound...

Gordon Swire and Andre Choty for the editing...

Joël David for the lighting...

and Christote Szendrö for the rest.

Eclair Laboratories, Auditorium S.I.S.

Control visa No. 44089.

Produced by Ciné-Tamaris.

I give you Agnès Varda's film...

Daguerréotypes.

THE BLUE THISTLE

It all started with the Blue Thistle,

an unusual shop near my place on Rue Daguerre in Paris.

I love its window displays.

They give off a forgotten scent

of an inventory suspended in time.

The same items have been on display for the 25 years I've lived here.

Madame Blue Thistle, as meek as a captive,

fascinates me even more than the shop,

where her husband specializes in custom perfumes

that he sells retail.

My daughter Rosalie is a regular customer.

How are you today?

Fine. Yourself?

I'd like some eau de Cologne for a girlfriend.

May I pick out the bottle?

Yes, you may.

I'd like jasmine water.

SPECIAL CREAM FOR DANDRUFF AND HAIR LOSS

FAST-ACTING CREAM FOR BLACKHEADS

It smells wonderful. Do you make it yourself?

Yes, I prepare it.

But it depends on the scent.

Some I make, others I buy.

Do you make this one?

No, I buy this one.

But I prepare other scents

like fougère, lavender, or Chypre.

But I don't prepare jasmine.

What about violet?

Yes, I make violet water.

No need to wrap it.

Three francs.

Good evening.

You have any brilliantine? - Yes, sir.

Gel, if you have it.

How much is that?

2.50.

Thank you.

Now my hair will lie down just right.

- Shall I wrap it? - No need.

Good-bye.

The passage of time in the Blue Thistle

made me sensitive to shopkeepers' sense of time.

I wanted to pass right through the shop windows on my street

and be inside with the artisans and salespeople

in the slowness and patience of their work...

in their waiting — and their customers' waiting —

in their down time and their empty moments,

in the mysteries of daily interactions.

I didn't choose the most colorful shops.

I stuck with the shopkeepers I frequent,

those I see every day,

less than 50 yards from my door.

I was having memory lapses.

Same thing happens to me.

We're not the only ones.

It's normal. I'm almost 70.

And I'm 77. How about that?

Though not far from the Tour Montparnasse,

it's a very average street,

with people passing by or chatting,

people behind each door, each window...

that silent majority behind its fearsome mask...

that nonetheless behaves with the quaint charm you'd expect,

all to the strains of an accordion.

Every morning the curtain rises on the theater of the everyday,

whose repertoire and stars we know by heart:

bread, milk, hardware, meat, and linen.

But there's also timekeeping, hairgrooming,

and always the accordion!

1.20 and .85. That's 2.05 francs.

Here you are. Thank you.

Hello.

A baguette, please.

Are you doing better? Have you been away?

85 centimes.

And one franc. Thank you.

- Do you have milk today? - Yes, ma'am.

Is it pasteurized?

No, it's sterilized.

It keeps a long time.

Any canned milk?

Yes, Gloria brand.

Good. Made by Nestlé. A small can.

Anything else?

- How much is that? - Ninety.

- How much? - Ninety centimes.

- It's not skim, right? - Yes, it is.

- You have any that isn't? - No.

Just my luck.

I have full-fat sterilized milk in quarts.

With a long shelf life.

- This isn't skim, right? - Yes, it is.

Yes, concentrate with sugar. All the Gloria is.

Fine. Here.

Thank you, ma'am.

Coming through.

Yes, I'm fine. Yourself?

Anyway, it's just a phone call away.

One can't always choose the time.

- I'm bringing these keys back. - Didn't they work?

My husband will see to it later.

- Then I'll come back. - Very well.

- How much do I owe you? - 5.20.

I'd also like a Popsy for Laurence.

That's 5.20 and 2.80.

Eight francs.

- What's his name? - Bideau.

He cornered her outside the front door and said...

"If you keep this up...

I'll call the police! They'll lock you up!"

In a real nasty voice. And that was that.

It scared some sense into her.

Well, I have shopping to do. See you.

- How much is that? - 11.50.

Hello.

When I told my wife this could be fixed, she said...

"Then go on, hurry!"

It's nice work, older than all of us.

Here's the thing with mercury.

It works, but it gains half an hour a day.

We'll fix it for you.

If you want the stand,

it's bigger and nicer than yours. - No, no need.

I can bring it in the stroller. - What for?

In case you need it for final adjustments.

Well, take your time.

It'll be ready the end of next week.

At 72 one has seen everything!

Good-bye now.

Hello, Mrs. Otto.

What would you like? - A leg-of-mutton steak.

Very well.

Not enough for a steak here.

How about chops?

For Mr. Otto? Two?

Not too big.

Okay.

He'll enjoy these.

Nice-looking, huh?

For Mr. Otto. Five francs.

Thank you.

Keep the change?

How's Mr. Otto? A little better?

He's been a bit tired, with his heart.

He had an electrocardiogram.

It's this weather.

What will it be?

A sirloin steak.

- Just for one? - Yes.

Not too big.

That comes to six francs —

Sorry. 7.80.

Thank you.

Your mail.

- Were you skating? - It takes practice to become a star.

It's a lot of work.

Isabelle, your mail.

- How are you? - Fine, and you?

Fine.

- Closing up? - Yes, putting everything back.

Good luck.

At the outdoor market at the other end of the street,

you find political newspapers, activists, discussions.

Here... nothing.

Black hands earn white bread.

At this end of Rue Daguerre,

the sidewalk is neutral territory.

No one's interested in politics.

It's not discussed. Besides, it's bad for business.

- How ya doing? - Fine. You?

WE IRON SHEETS

- Your sheets. - Thank you.

In the streets of Paris, when night falls,

tailors are still at work when other shops close.

In hand-sewn clothing, patience is the name of the game.

I'm Lucien Bossy.

I've been a tailor for the last 25 years.

I was born in Sainte-Pazanne,