Jeanne Dielman, 23 Quai du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles

Essential Cinema
Jeanne Dielman, 23 Quai du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles

Directed by Chantal Akerman

Wednesday, April 5, 6 pm

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“A feminist masterwork of minimalist constraint; a cinematic powerhouse of narrative innuendo: Chantal Akerman’s pice de résistance.”—director Todd Haynes

A unique and compelling work in film history, this early film by Chantal Akerman meticulously details, with a sense of impending doom, the daily routine of a middle-aged widow whose chores include making the beds, cooking dinner for her teenaged son, and turning an occasional trick. Striking in its sparseness, the film’s domestic regimen is engrossing, yet terrifying when cracks emerge.

Dielman, played to perfection by Delphine Seyrig, attacks her mundane tasks with a hypnotic rhythm and a rigorous attention to detail making for a riveting, unforgettable experience. 1975, Belgium/France, DCP, 201 minutes. Recommended for 16+.

Co-presented with the Commonwealth Center for Humanities and Society, UofL with an introduction by Dr. Andreas Elpidorou, Assistant Professor of Philosophy, UofL in conjunction with the Conference on Neglected Emotions April 13-15.