Chantal Akerman
Chantal Anne Akerman (June 6, 1950 – October 5, 2015) was a Belgian film director, artist and professor of film at the City College of New York. Her best-known film is Jeanne Dielman, 23 quai du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles (1975). Despite being categorised as such by others, Akerman frequently distanced herself from the feminist label, explaining, "when people say there is a feminist film language, it is like saying there is only one way for women to express themselves". Instead, Akerman acknowledged that her cinematic approach took inspiration from the writings of Gilles Deleuze and Felix Guattari, as well as from filmmakers Michael Snow and Jean-Luc Godard. Many directors have cited Akerman's directorial style as an influence on their work. Kelly Reichardt, Gus Van Sant, and Sofia Coppola have noted their exploration of filming in real time as a tribute to Akerman.
| Known for | Directing |
|---|---|
| Born | 6 Jun 1950 |
| Died | 5 Oct 2015 |
| Place of birth | Brussels, Belgium |
Favorite films
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The ending of the film, with Mouchette rolling toward the river, is tremendous.
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As soon as there are chase scenes, people talk about Vertigo … the chase scenes in La Captive are much less expertly done than Hitchcock’s … I would be incapable of making a film like Vertigo … I don’t know how he was able to have this foresight of framing …
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I saw Dreyer’s Gertrud quite late, it’s a film that breaks my heart just thinking about it, and what comes back to me is the way of pronouncing “Gertrud”. I think I loved everything about this film, but the music of this first name stayed with me above all.
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Written on the wind, that title is so beautiful. Douglas Sirk managed to sneak so much subversiveness into the melodrama.
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I have often said that it is because I saw Pierrot le Fou teenager that I wanted to make movies. … And for the first time in my life, I saw that cinema was an art. When I left the room, I said I wanted to make movies. Right away.
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I was fascinated by the fact that, without telling a story, Michael Snow created a real tension.
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It’s the tension that takes hold of you. … Seeing Pickpocket is an experience that marks you for the rest of your life. And I never imagined that it could be played any other way.
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In Busby Berkeley’s films, I like the purity of the lines, the black and white checkerboards, the white dresses and the black suits… The form, really, and the pleasure it gives.
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I especially loved Entire Days in the Trees, there was something rough about it.
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Such simplicity, such economy, such beauty in how it treats its young characters.
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I love this woman. Her generosity.
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The sensory experience I underwent was extraordinarily powerful and physical. It was a revelation for me, that you could make a film without telling a story.
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It was so beautiful, captivating, intelligent — a beauty that doesn’t want to be beautiful, and that’s how it’s achieved.
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In a film that’s this sensitive, I feel like I’m at home. A pure pleasure in cinema, in such beautiful young boys.
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The idea is extraordinary: one love is worth the same as another, a person can be replaced by another. For me, Happiness is the most anti-romantic film there is.
