Agnès Varda in LA: DOCUMENTEUR (1981) + MUR MURS (1981)
About this Event
For the first screening of PRS's YesterdayLA 2026 series—a month-long exploration of the people, places, and works of art that have become part of the fabric of Los Angeles history—7th House is proud to present a special double feature of Agnès Varda's deeply intertwined companion films, DOCUMENTEUR (1981) and MUR MURS (1981), two remarkable works that capture early-1980s Los Angeles with uncommon intimacy, curiosity, and humanity. Together, they form one of cinema's most singular portraits of Los Angeles—at once deeply personal and expansively communal.
Following a period of separation from her husband and longtime creative partner Jacques Demy, Agnès Varda relocated to Los Angeles with her young son and embarked on two of the most personal films of her career. Shot concurrently and sharing many of the same murals, neighborhoods, and city streets, Documenteur and Mur Murs offer complementary visions of Los Angeles as both a refuge and a place of reinvention. In Documenteur, the city becomes the backdrop for a quietly moving story of loneliness, motherhood, and rebuilding a life. In Mur Murs, Varda turns her attention outward, discovering in the city's vast array of public artworks reflections of the people, traditions, and lived experiences that shaped them. Presented together, this enmeshed diptych offers a richly layered view of Los Angeles at the dawn of the 1980s and a testament to the restorative power of wonder, creativity, and human connection.
DOCUMENTEUR
Conceived as a companion piece to Mur Murs, Agnès Varda's self-described "emotion picture" follows Emilie (Sabine Mamou), a recently separated French woman raising her young son in Los Angeles. Though fictional, the film draws deeply from Varda's own experiences, with her son Mathieu Demy appearing onscreen and many of the murals and locations documented in Mur Murs reappearing here as part of Emilie's daily wanderings. Blending documentary observation with lyrical fiction, Documenteur transforms Los Angeles into both a lived-in city and an emotional landscape, crafting a quietly moving meditation on loneliness, motherhood, and the fragile process of building a new life. Through Varda's compassionate eye, the city emerges as a place of passage—one where grief, resilience, and possibility coexist.
Often overshadowed by its more exuberant companion film, Documenteur stands among Varda's most intimate and emotionally resonant works. Seen alongside Mur Murs, it reveals another side of the same city and the same moment in the filmmaker's life, transforming Los Angeles into a landscape of memory, uncertainty, and possibility.
MUR MURS
A decade after creating her California trilogy—Uncle Yanco, Black Panthers, and Lions Love (...and Lies)—Agnès Varda returned to Los Angeles for a more bittersweet chapter in her life. Where Documenteur reflects the inward-facing experience of that sojourn, Mur Murs finds Varda turning her attention outward, discovering in the city's remarkably diverse murals a living canvas of communities, cultures, histories, and personalities. Through a kaleidoscopic survey of Los Angeles' mural movement, Varda transforms painted walls into portals through which she encounters the artists and neighborhoods that shaped them. Afro-futurist visions, neighborhood histories, religious iconography, portraits of Latinx icons both local and legendary, tributes to forgotten stars, and celebrations of cultural identity become entry points into a vivid cross-section of Los Angeles life, revealing a city whose many voices are emblazoned across its streets.
Bursting with color, humor, and vitality, Mur Murs is as much an invigorating study of community and creative expression as it is an essential record of a uniquely Angeleno art form. Capturing dozens of murals that have since vanished beneath development, neglect, or changing tastes, the film remains an indispensable portrait of a Los Angeles that was at once fragmented, diverse, eccentric, and profoundly alive.
DOCUMENTEUR
Dir. Agnès Varda, 1981, 64 mins, United States/France, English & French w/ English Subtitles, Unrated, Digital.
MUR MURS
Dir. Agnès Varda, 1981, 82 mins, France/United States, English, Color, Unrated, Digital.
Tickets: $12 (In Person Event Only)
Please email [email protected] or phone 323-663-2167 with any questions.
ABOUT YesterdayLA 2026
This July, the Philosophical Research Society celebrates our beloved city’s rich and diverse past with YesterdayLA 2026, our second annual month-long exploration of unique stories and works of art that have become part of the fabric of Los Angeles history. The landscape of our city is changing faster than ever before. By examining the LA of yesterday, we invite Angelenos to gather together to not only look back but forward to the possibilities of our great city’s tomorrow.
Throughout its 90+ year history The Philosophical Research Society has stood as a sanctuary for those seeking truth and enlightenment, with its doors open to Angelenos who have created great works of art and innovation, political movements, and spiritual evolutions across the eras. YesterdayLA will explore the fascinating stories of our city’s past with the continued spirit of curiosity that has stood as the pillar of PRS’s mission.
ADVISORY DISCLAIMER
With some exception, The Philosophical Research Society’s 7th House Screenings does not typically provide advisory warnings about potentially upsetting content or subject matter, as sensitivities are particular to each viewer. Please be sure to read event listings, research on the web, or visit Common Sense Media, IMDb, and DoesTheDogDie.com for thorough info on content and age-appropriateness. If you have any specific content advisory questions, please email [email protected].
CONTENT DISCLAIMER
The views, opinions, and thoughts expressed within exhibited works are solely those of their creators and may not represent those of the Philosophical Research Society (PRS), its affiliates, or any individuals associated with PRS. Screenings are intended for educational and entertainment purposes.
ACCESSIBILITY
PRS wants all guests to be able to enjoy our events safely and comfortably. If you require any accessibility accommodation, please reach out to [email protected] before showtime and we will be happy to assist you.
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PARKING
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Where is it happening?
Event Location & Nearby Stays:
USD 14.64
