Chantal Akerman Movies

The Portuguese-produced, Gulbenkian Foundation-funded omnibus film The State of the World (O Estado do Mundo, 2007) joins September 11 (2003), Paris, Je T'Aime (2006), and other feature-length works made around the same time that resurrect the form and structure of the classic "episode picture." Like the aforementioned titles, the scope here is international: six directors from around the globe were each invited to contribute a sketch of around 15 minutes, on the theme of sociocultural change as it occurs transcontinentally -- change in populace, landscape, economy, and/or lifestyles. The directors who agreed to participate include Belgian Chantal Akerman, Portuguese Pedro Costa, Thai Apichatpong Weerasethakul, Chinese Wang Bing, Brazilian Vicente Ferraz, and Indian Ayisha Abraham.

Weerasethakul's segment, "Luminous People," opens the picture, and depicts one Thai family's ash-scattering ceremony following the death of a beloved relative, as they cruise down the Mekong River in a boat between Laos and Thailand. The director utilizes a broken stream of metonymical shots to create a dreamlike, gossamery ambience, and consciously resists any explanatory voice-over or interpretation, instead encouraging his subjects to reflect on the meaning of the ceremony in voice-over. Next up is Ferraz's contribution, "Germano" -- a message-laden allegory about the elderly Brazilian fisherman of the title (Paschoal Vilaboim), saddled with a minimal crew, who must pilot his tiny vessel beyond its safe and shallow haven and venture boldly into deep waters to draw a healthy catch. En route, however, he must face a lull in the dreaded doldrums and the presence of a mammoth Russian oil tanker. Abraham helms the third segment, "One Way" -- a documentary piece that meditates on the life of Shyam Bahadur, a Nepali emigrant who works as a security guard in Bangalore. Per its title, Bing's fourth segment, "Brutality Factory," bombards the audience with a compendium of almost assaultive images, depicting factory ruins culled from his movie West of the Tracks. Bing then shifts the form of the segment from documentary to docudrama, by filming scripted scenes that depict the torture inflicted by the government on alleged counterrevolutionary dissidents during the notorious Cultural Revolution. A wife is ordered, under threat of execution, to betray her husband. She refuses and is promptly murdered, prior to the sickeningly ironic revelation that the husband committed suicide in 1967. Costa's acclaimed fifth segment, "Tarrafal," unfolds in a dilapidated shack in the outlying regions of Lisbon, where a mother and her son huddle protectively and reflect on the destruction of their Cape Verde home. The mother tells the son a fantastic story about a Boogeyman saddled with the task of determining who is to die, in his roamings throughout the world. Akerman closes the picture with a conceptual art piece -- a montage set in Shanghai, depicting the advertisements for popular products on the sides of buildings and boats. ~ Nathan Southern, All Movie Guide

Documentary filmmaker Chantal Akerman traveled to the American South to make a film on life in the land that informed and influenced William Faulkner and James Baldwin, but shortly after she arrived, a shocking story began to dominate the headlines. In Jasper, Texas, James Byrd Jr., an African-American man, was brutally beaten by three white men, and then chained to the back of a truck and dragged three miles to his death. The focus of Akerman's film shifted dramatically, and Sud/South explores the reactions of people in Jasper to the this heinous crime, ranging from an emotional memorial service at a black church to a local lawman who wants people to know race is not a problem in Jasper, at least not compared to the economy. The film also looks into the actions of organized hate groups and the impact racism has had on this community in the past. Sud/South was shown as part of the Directors Fortnight series at the 1999 Cannes Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

This is a romantic comedy with an analytical edge from noted Belgian director Chantal Akerman. Set in New York, the fun begins when freewheeling French dancer Beatrice and stodgy psychoanalyst Henry Harriston agree to exchange apartments. He will live in her bohemian Paris flat and she in his upscale, neat-as-a-pin Manhattan abode. The two have never met when they change places. Poor frazzled Henry is hoping that some quiet time in Paris will provide him with some badly needed cultural enrichment and relaxation from the demands of his wealthy clients. Unfortunately there is no rest, as he is constantly assailed by Beatrice's numerous suitors. Beatrice also deals with an onslaught of Henry's needy patients. Poor Henry can no longer stand being away and so quietly returns home. He notices a stream of patients coming from his home and they look unusually happy and well-adjusted. Even his dog looks happier. Wanting to learn her secret, Henry masquerades as a one of his own patients. It is not long before romantic sparks begin to fly. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

This experimental documentary is a compendium of striking images of Eastern Europe and its citizens in transition, following the collapse of the so-called Cold War. Places as diverse as Baltic beaches, and Moscow's snow-covered streets vie for attention along with the citizens of these places as they wait in lines, march in military formation, or stand idle in the waiting rooms of train stations. There is no narration, and no clear point (except the idea of transitions) is indicated by the beautifully chosen, enigmatic imagery. Indeed, there is not even much musical accompaniment. Fans of director Chantal Akerman's aggressively "non-commercial" work are likelier to find this film more appealing than the average viewer will. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide

Aimless young lovers Julie and Jack leave their provincial home and head for Paris to spend a year doing little more than wandering about and making frequent love. To support them, Jack gets a night job driving taxi. Julie does not work and while he works, she strolls the boulevards. Trouble comes when Julie falls for Joseph, a day-shift cabbie and begins a nighttime affair with him. At first Julie feels no guilt nor sense of betrayal, but as the intensity of the affair with Joseph, who has fallen deeply in love with her, increases, things get more difficult until Julie is forced to face up to her actions in the film's realistic finale. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

In this feature-length anthology of short films, seven women filmmakers from around the world interpret the seven "deadly sins" for a modern age. New Yorkers Bette Gordon and Maxi Cohen direct "Greed" and "Anger," respectively; Germans Helke Sander and Ulrike Ottinger take on "Gluttony" and "Pride"; Belgian director Chantal Akerman tackles "Sloth"; Austrian Valie Export composes "Lust"; and Laurence Gavron of France directs "Envy." ~ Sarah Welsh, All Movie Guide

A sensitivity to sounds coming from the activities of an unwelcome guest in the close quarters of an apartment is only one important component in this atmospheric, avant-garde drollery by Chantal Akerman. When the apartment owner comes home, her guest is settled in and at first, the slightly reclusive host decides simply to eat her breakfast in her room instead of having to face morning conversation with her guest. Sounds of the toilet flushing, the bath water running and splashing, footsteps pacing, and furniture moving invade the hostess' refuge in her bedroom like the frontrunners of an all-out offensive. She locks herself up for 28 days, life's detritus accumulating around her, just so she does not have to go out to face the nemesis that lurks beyond her door. Then suddenly on one occasion, she catches a flash of a naked male in the bathroom, on another occasion, the man bursts out singing a refrain from Oklahoma -- this is absolutely more than she can handle, and her determination to stay holed up is all the stronger. How long can this last? Director Akerman has expertly captured an induced paranoia with humor and artistic finesse in this peek at the making of a hermit. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide

All of the time and effort put forth to stage a musical is chronicled here in this bright and funny French outing. The story is set at a shopping mall where people audition for an upcoming show. Afterward, they are seen going through the grueling routines of learning the music and rehearsing. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide