Agnès Varda, Clément Chéroux - EO; Varda / Cuba - 2015

Major photographic book by Agnès Varda documenting her trip to Cuba in December 1962, just two months after the missile crisis.

Historical context:
In December 1962, right after the Cuban missile crisis that nearly triggered a nuclear war between the United States and the USSR, Agnès Varda went to Cuba. Like many French intellectuals of the time, she was fascinated by this island and its charismatic leader Fidel Castro. She wanted to make a film to understand this particular blend of pure socialism, sensuality, and cha-cha-cha that characterized Cuba at that time.

Working method:
To preserve her freedom of movement and avoid bureaucratic constraints, Varda decided to swap cinema camera for a camera. Her idea was to photograph first, then shoot and animate her photographs later with a rostrum camera to create her film. This technique allowed her to practice street photography without hindrance, capturing everyday Cuban life with spontaneity.

The project "Salut les Cubains":
The film that resulted from this trip, "Salut les Cubains" (1964), became one of the most important documentaries on revolutionary Cuba. Varda employed an innovative photographic animation technique, giving life to her still photos through editing and movement. The film was a success and is today a precious historical document on Cuba at the beginning of the Castro era.

The photographs:
Although they were not originally conceived as fine art photographs but as material for the film, the photographs from "Salut les Cubains" are of exceptional quality. One recognizes the lively yet always warm style that characterizes Varda’s work, as well as the tension between still images and animated images that runs through her entire oeuvre. The 144 duotone photographs capture revolutionary energy, daily life, dances, faces, and the streets of Havana, creating an intimate and vibrant portrait of Cuba at this pivotal moment in its history.

Book content:
Beyond the 144 photographs, the work compiles Varda’s archives: notebooks, sketches, editing notes, bearing witness to her creative process.
The book also includes an interview with Karolina Ziebinska-Lewandowska and four enlightening essays that analyze Varda’s work and place this project in its historical and artistic context.

- Binding: Hardcover edition without dust jacket, as published
- Dimensions: 21.8 x 29 cm
- Page count: 161
- Photographs: 144 duotone images (bichromie)

Condition: Like new, very fresh interior, without annotations or dog-eared pages. Seems unread. Corners of the cover still sharp.
See the photos forming an integral part of the description.

Will be shipped in a careful, sturdy, and tracked package.