Numéro zéro

Before paying homage to his grandmother Odette Robert in the autobiographical MY LITTLE LOVES, Jean Eustache made NUMÉRO ZÉRO, a documentary portrait in which Robert answers questions about her difficult Bordeaux upbringing, contentious marriage, and traumatic wartime experiences. In excavating the painful details of Robert’s life, Eustache discovers their universal resonance. Much of Eustache’s later style can be found in NUMÉRO ZÉRO, from the inimitable black-and-white photography and static framing to the emphasis on the major revelations of minor movements and gestures. This is the complete version of the shorter ODETTE ROBERT, which was broadcast in 1980 on France’s TF1 channel.