Jeanne Dielman meticulously plots a Brussels widow’s daily ritual of household chores. Working with an almost all-female crew, 25-year-old Akerman utilized long takes and scrupulous framing to create this startling work. “Before Akerman, no one had ever made a film examining emptiness, and made it so empty. It’s a masterpiece that writes its own rules about how movies express themselves—you can’t compare it to other films, not even Akerman’s” (IFC.com). Featuring an astonishing performance by Delphine Seyrig. 1975, 35mm, 201 minutes.
Introduced by Paula Rabinowitz, Department of English, University of Minnesota