Augenblicke. Gesichter einer Reise: von JR und Agnès Varda als Repräsentation der »Klasse ohne Privilegien«

Faces Places by JR and Agnès Varda as the Representation of a «Class without Privileges»

This essay argues that the documentary Faces. Places by JR and Agnes Varda provides a trend-setting starting point for the analysis of class relations. On the one hand, the documentation focusses on the working and living conditions of a rural population, which generally lacks aesthetic and political representation. By drawing on traditions of street art and working-class photography, the film also develops representational alternatives that create community and publicity. The documentary shows how little media and political attention is given to a class that has no privileges. It highlights the importance of class representation to prevent relapse into authoritarian governance.