533 Ratings

Uncle Yanco

Oncle Yanco

France, United States, 1967

Short, Documentary

Synopsis

In her effervescent first California film, Agnès Varda delves into her own family history. The short documentary Uncle Yanco features Varda tracking down a Greek emigrant relative she’s never met, Jean Varda, discovering an artist and kindred soul leading a bohemian life in Sausalito.

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Uncle Yanco Directed by Agnès Varda

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Awards & Festivals

Viennale

2006

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Cast & Crew

Critics reviews

SF Weekly

A deft collage artist and a social fixture within his “aquatic suburbia,” Yanco seems to spend his days fielding inspirations, holding court among a handful of sweet-faced hippies, and generally being an excellent subject for an Agnès Varda movie.

Jonathan Kiefer

August 19, 2015

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Uncle Yanco is the cinematic equivalent of a breeze blowing through gossamer curtains. Varda’s delight at meeting her relative can be felt in every frame, yet this is more than just a document of the coming together of two kindred spirits. With its fragmented opening visuals and sounds, bursts of psychedelic color, and images of the San Francisco area, it’s as much an experimental evocation of a place and time as a portrait of a person.

Michael Koresky

August 13, 2015

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Film Comment

If the Inuit supposedly have an extensive vocabulary to describe variations of snow, surely Angelenos must have the same for sunlight. Dull, glaring, hazy, and speckled, Varda harnesses them all to render the color palette of the period especially striking. The soft pastels and psychedelic bursts are most vibrant in Uncle Yanco, making this playful 19-minute short the greatest delight of all.

Emma Myers

July 01, 2015

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What are people saying?

Lynch/Fellini's rating of the film Uncle Yanco
Lynch/Fellini

This was a lovely little memoir film from Agnès Varda that is a time capsule for previous generations.
February 16, 2019 18:14
- 2
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Sedef's rating of the film Uncle Yanco
Sedef

Very enjoyed seeing a transparent perspective on maintaining a simple life. Cute story!
December 19, 2016 20:49
- 1
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her wavelength's rating of the film Uncle Yanco
her wavelength

wonderful, colorful, fun! loving portrait/self-portrait.
December 19, 2016 04:50
- 1
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roromancl's rating of the film Uncle Yanco
roromancl

Another beautiful Agnés Varda Film. A tribute to her uncle, a tribute to life...
August 01, 2016 23:35
- 1
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El Biffo's rating of the film Uncle Yanco
El Biffo

Another excellent film from the great Agnes Varda. Shot in Sausalito in 1967, this very real doc about Varda's very real uncle provides an alternate look at S.F. Bay Area culture during the alleged "Summer of Love".
January 24, 2019 17:41
- 12
- 0
inquisita's rating of the film Uncle Yanco
inquisita

the only way to avoid being subjected to the ultimate indignity, which is to be psychoanalized, is to go sailing, at least once a week, without motor - :)) niice. mental health à la grecque, from the times of hesiod.
February 17, 2019 22:26
- 4
- 0
Katya Kazbek's rating of the film Uncle Yanco
Katya Kazbek

It 's funny how a film that makes one feel so much about family, ties and bonds, and connections, and lost shores, — in a non-pedestrian way, of course, — has the protagonist proclaim: "Family is what you shouldn't be". Ah Yanco!
April 30, 2018 19:30
- 1
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comeandsee's rating of the film Uncle Yanco
comeandsee

it was great watching varda investigate her own family and her roots. her films are obsessed with links and connections so this fits nicely into her ouevre. she has such an eccentric style to both her film and her personality so this film was enjoyable to watch. everything she does is sheer joy to me.
January 24, 2019 16:10
- 7
- 0