Continuing our obsession with hoarders, we recently watched Agnes Varda's documentary film "The Gleaners and I." Gleaning is the act of collecting leftover crops from farmers' fields after the harvest. The film examines this long-standing rural tradition and the transformation of gleaning to urban environments. Shown here is "The Gleaners" by Jean-Francois Millet (left) - which Agnes Varda discusses in the film - and a modern interpretation of the painting made before 2001 (right). More info on "The Gleaners and I" below the jump...
In the documentary, Agnes Varda interviews rural people who feed themselves from the leftovers of big agriculture, which dump food like potatoes by the roadside. She also features urban gleaners who dumpster dive and stake out supermarkets, restaurants, and wealthy neighborhoods. These people both feed themselves and pick up household items and furniture for resale in the city. Many turn into hoarders of discarded goods,and remind us of 
This movie is really great, I thoroughly enjoyed it. I didn't realize how prevalent gleaning is even today, and it gave me all kinds of ideas. And it reminded me of my dad because he always keeps an eye out for abandoned apple trees and to see where asparagus grows alongside country roads.
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I'm in mad, crazy love with Agnes Varda. Thanks so much for sharing!
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