Chantal Akerman
Known for
Chantal Akerman was a Belgian director born in Brussels, celebrated for radically patient, formally rigorous films that redefined how cinema could depict everyday domestic life, particularly women's labor. Jeanne Dielman, 23, quai du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles, following a widow's rigidly structured domestic routine and part-time sex work across more than three hours of real-time observation, became one of the most influential and, decades later, most acclaimed films in cinema history for its unprecedented attention to the mundane rhythms of housework. News from Home, set to Akerman's own voiceover reading her mother's letters over static shots of New York City, and Je Tu Il Elle extended her fascination with duration, isolation, and autobiographical structure. Akerman's radical patience and elevation of domestic routine to serious cinematic subject matter made her one of the most influential feminist filmmakers in the history of world cinema.
Chantal Akerman
26 Directed
1 Series
Chantal Akerman was a Belgian director born in Brussels, celebrated for radically patient, formally rigorous films that redefined how cinema could depict everyday domestic life, particularly women's labor. Jeanne Dielman, 23, quai du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles, following a widow's rigidly structured domestic routine and part-time sex work across more than three hours of real-time observation, became one of the most influential and, decades later, most acclaimed films in cinema history for its unprecedented attention to the mundane rhythms of housework. News from Home, set to Akerman's own voiceover reading her mother's letters over static shots of New York City, and Je Tu Il Elle extended her fascination with duration, isolation, and autobiographical structure. Akerman's radical patience and elevation of domestic routine to serious cinematic subject matter made her one of the most influential feminist filmmakers in the history of world cinema.
Movies
Director
Mallet-Stevens Street
1986
Director
Je Tu Il Elle
1974
Director
Jeanne Dielman, 23, quai du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles
1976
Director
Moving In
1993
Director
The Captive
2000
Director
Night and Day
1991
Director
The Meetings of Anna
1978
Director
A Couch in New York
1996
Director
Almayer's Folly
2012
Director
Tomorrow We Move
2004
Director
Family Business
1984
Director
Toute une nuit
1982
Director
Golden Eighties
1986
Director
The Hammer
1986
Director
Saute ma ville
1968
Director
News from Home
1977
Director
Paris Seen By... 20 Years After
1984
Director
Seven Women, Seven Sins
1986
Director
American Stories: Food, Family and Philosophy
1989
Director
I'm Hungry, I'm Cold
1984
Director
Knokke: une petite fiction
1967
Director
Knokke: une petite fiction 2
1967
Director
Bruxelles: La soeur et la mère de Marilyn
1967
Director
Three Stanzas on the Name of Sacher
1989
Latest Trailers
Watch Trailer
Porto
Full Filmography
Now
Director
2015
Film
Almayer's Folly
Director
2012
Film
Tomorrow We Move
Director
2004
Film
The Captive
Director
2000
Film
A Couch in New York
Director
1996
Film
All the Boys and Girls of Their Time
Director · 9 episodes
1994–
TV
Moving In
Director
1993
Film
Night and Day
Director
1991
Film
For Febe Elisabeth Velasquez, El Salvador
Director
1991
Film
Photos
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Chantal Akerman still alive?
Chantal Akerman passed away on October 5, 2015 at age 65.
What are the most famous roles of Chantal Akerman?
Chantal Akerman is best known for directing Jeanne Dielman, 23, quai du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles, Je Tu Il Elle, News from Home.
How many movies has Chantal Akerman directed?
Over a 48-year career (since 1967), Chantal Akerman has directed or written 26 films and worked on 1 TV shows.
What was Chantal Akerman's first movie?
The career of Chantal Akerman began with Examen d'entrée INSAS (1967).
What is Chantal Akerman's most recent movie or series?
Chantal Akerman's most recent release is No Home Movie, which premiered on February 24, 2016.
What TV shows has Chantal Akerman created or directed?
On television, Chantal Akerman has appeared in All the Boys and Girls of Their Time, Monologues, Grands mères.
Chantal Akerman
1950-06-06 · Brussels, Belgium
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.