Tio Yanco

A gentle tribute to an older relative of Agnès Varda, a man she'd never met who in 1967 was living on a makeshift houseboat among other artists and hippies in Sausalito. There are little flashes of Varda's beautiful touch, such as that transparent red heart, but overall this one didn't dazzle me as so much of her other work does. Uncle Yanco comments on the peace movement, the family tree, how he perceives art, the need to connect to nature via sailing, and how "hell is doing what you don't want to," the latter after getting up from a nap. It's pretty fascinating to see the colors in his artwork and relate them to the Director's use of color in her films, and it's clear they are kindred spirits. Perhaps his lament that "there is a tragic difference between what you imagine and what you paint" is universal to all artists as well. It's inoffensive in its 18 minute run time, but not all that stirring, despite what I assume had great personal meaning to Varda.

The documentary Oncle Yanco (1967) was shown in the U.S. with the title "Uncle Yanco." It was written and directed by Agnès Varda.

Varda was in San Franciso, and one of her friends told her that there was a man named Varda living on a houseboat in nearby Sausalito. They drove to Sausalito and found Jean "Yanco" Varda. He was, indeed, related to Agnès. Her father and Yanco were cousins. So, although they had a blood relationship, Yanco wasn't really her uncle. However, it would be difficult to use "First Cousin Once Removed Yanco" as a film title.

Like Frederick Wiseman--but unlike Michael Moore--Varda doesn't usually include herself in her documentaries. However, clearly she needed to be filmed in this case, because one of the virtues of this movie was to watch the interaction between Yanco and Agnes.

As it turns out, Yanco was well known in Sausalito, because he was an excellent artist, and a very welcoming host on his houseboat. Many young people came to visit Yanco to eat, talk, and make music.

This movie isn't too profound, at least on the surface, but it's a delight to watch. It's colorful and interesting, and there's a real charm to Agnes building a relationship with an older man whom she had had never met him before and now was discovered to be her uncle.

We saw this movie on the large screen at the Dryden Theatre in the George Eastman Museum in Rochester, NY. We in the Rochester area are fortunate to be able to watch a retrospective of Varda's films, cosponsored by Rochester Institute of Technology and the Eastman Museum.

I'm sure the movie doesn't play often in theaters, but it will work pretty well on the small screen. Some of the grandeur of the setting will be lost, but the interactions will work on DVD. It's worth seeking out.

Most of us celebrate family by throwing a party. Agnes Varda does it by making a film. In this case, while she was in San Francisco, she went to Sausalito see a man mentioned in a book who had the same last name as her. It turned out to be her father's cousin.

Of course, making a film is a little more involved than throwing a party. A party may involve just showing up with some food and notifying guests. Making a film involves a crew, so Agnes brought them, and filmed the spontaneous creations and utterances of Uncle Yanco.... through a dozen takes if necessary. Spontaneity requires much preparation.

One particularly notable point of this film for me is the colors: the bright, translucent colors that recall to me the hippy culture as I knew it, in New York City's Fillmore East, and on a couple of trips to San Francisco a couple of years after this film was made. This movie captures that light perfectly.

Since Agnès Varda died recently, I decided to watch one of her movies. "Oncle Yanco" ("Uncle Yanco" in English) is a short documentary that the cineaste made during a brief stay in California. The focus is a relative of hers from Greece, now living a hippie lifestyle in Sausalito and respected by his community.

One thing that Yanco - actually named Jean Varda - mentions is that Greece was under a military junta at the time. This man was well informed about the world. Varda herself appears briefly in the doc to introduce Yanco. It's not any sort of deep philosophical work, but it's hard not to like seeing someone get to meet a long lost relative on the other side of the world. Definitely see it.

While in California, Varda made a documentary about a Black Panther rally the following year. Also see that one.

In 1967, Agnes Varda visits a distant cousin in Sausalito. He pontificates, displays his collages, and discusses genealogy for anyone interested. Harmless.