This was an immensely charming short, like given a desert - maybe of Greek origin, who's to say - that is hardy but can melt in your mouth so easily. This Uncle Yanco, who looks like a more cheerful late era David Crosby, is someone who I'd like to think my mother needs to watch this, aside from its light tone she (and many others) would take a liking to because he has mapped put and can trace his lineage and we see a family tree. I'm always fascinated by that stuff too, where people date back to or how far we can look at someone, and in this case Varda was really "Vardas" going back to the 12 century and... well, I don't want to spoil more of the fun, right?
This is fluff, but it's made with a love and sincerity for the subject that can't be separated from how Agnes is playing with the form, down to including outtakes of a moment that she is recreating with her subject of when the two met (naturally no camera at that time, so what else is a filmmaker of her stamina going to do but recreate it). We see how it's paramount for him to sail on his boat (no motor); we see his paper creations of small works of art dealing with hid Orthodox religion; and his philosophies with a literal door opening and closing for his thoughts, like he's some side character on Sesame Street (early era I might add).
I wish I had an Uncle like Yanco, so deadpan against the Establishment (they smell so bad), so happy to be where he is in life with his family and on that house boat. Don't we all wish we had someone like this in our lives? Cinema can give us these windows into reality.
