Direction: Chantal Akerman

The best movies, series, and documentaries directed by Chantal Akerman. Explore exceptional titles that showcase a unique filmmaking vision.


News from Home

1977 · Documentary · 85 min. · Belgium

Direction Chantal Akerman

Cast Chantal Akerman

Synopsis News from Home (1977) is a cinematic journey directed by Chantal Akerman that interweaves serene, largely stationary scenes of New York City with personal letters penned by Akerman's mother in Belgium. The film does not follow a traditional narrative arc;...

Max

7.7

392 votes

7.7

392 votes

Direction Chantal Akerman

Cast Circé Lethem · Julien Rassam · Joëlle Marlier · Cynthia Rodberg

Synopsis Portrait of a Young Girl at the End of the 1960s in Brussels (TV) (1994) follows the story of Michèle, a 15-year-old who chooses to abandon her education. She crafts numerous fake absence notes and spends her days at the...

7.7

219 votes

7.7

219 votes

Direction Chantal Akerman

Cast Delphine Seyrig · Jan Decorte · Henri Storck · Jacques Doniol-Valcroze

Synopsis Jeanne Dielman, 23 quai du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles (1975) is a landmark in cinematic history, meticulously chronicling the daily life of a middle-aged widow with an underlying sense of foreboding. The film, directed by Chantal Akerman, focuses on the widow's...

Max

7.5

901 votes

7.5

901 votes

From the East

1993 · Documentary · 110 min. · Belgium

Direction Chantal Akerman

Synopsis From the East (1993) is an experimental documentary that presents a collection of vivid images capturing Eastern Europe and its inhabitants during a period of significant change, post the end of the Cold War. The film juxtaposes a variety of...

7.4

185 votes

7.4

185 votes

The Meetings of Anna

1978 · Movie · 127 min. · Belgium

Direction Chantal Akerman

Cast Aurore Clément · Helmut Griem · Magali Noël · Hanns Zischler

Synopsis The Meetings of Anna (1978) follows Anna (Aurore Clément), a film director who travels extensively across Western Europe for her work. In each location, she either has pre-existing close ties or quickly forms new ones. People are inexplicably drawn to...

7.4

365 votes

7.4

365 votes

Direction Chantal Akerman

Cast Mark Amitin · Eszter Balint · Stephan Balint · Kirk Baltz

Synopsis Histoires d'Amérique (American Stories, Food, Family and Philosophy) (1989) presents an unstructured journey through Jewish life over the past century, told through a collection of firsthand accounts brought to life by a cast of mostly lesser-known performers. The film weaves...

7.2

23 votes

7.2

23 votes

A Whole Night

1982 · Movie · 90 min. · Belgium

Direction Chantal Akerman

Cast Angelo Abazoglou · Frank Aendenboom · Natalia Akerman · Véronique Alain

Synopsis A Whole Night (1982) follows the intertwined lives of more than two dozen individuals over the course of a single, silent night in a Brussels town. The film delves into themes of acceptance and rejection within the realm of romance,...

7.2

239 votes

7.2

239 votes

One Day Pina Asked...

1983 · Documentary · 57 min. · France

Direction Chantal Akerman

Cast Pina Bausch

Synopsis One Day Pina Asked... (1983) is a captivating documentary that chronicles the renowned choreographer Pina Bausch and her esteemed dance troupe, The Tanztheater Wuppertal, over a five-week period during their international tour across Germany, Italy, and France. Directed by Chantal...

7.1

26 votes

7.1

26 votes

Golden Eighties

1986 · Movie · 96 min. · Belgium

7.0

111 votes

7.0

111 votes

South

1999 · Documentary · 71 min. · France

Direction Chantal Akerman

6.9

56 votes

6.9

56 votes

I, You, She, He

1974 · Movie · 86 min. · France

Direction Chantal Akerman

Cast Chantal Akerman · Niels Arestrup · Claire Wauthion

Synopsis I, You, She, He (1974) marked the debut feature film by avant-garde director Chantal Akerman. The narrative, strikingly minimalist, follows a tense woman embarking on an extended voyage across France. Her past is shrouded in mystery, and through prolonged introspection...

Max

6.9

438 votes

6.9

438 votes

Hôtel Monterey

1972 · Documentary · 65 min. · Belgium

Direction Chantal Akerman

Synopsis Hôtel Monterey (1972) presents a meticulous, almost forensic exploration of its subject through prolonged, static shots of dimly lit linoleum floors and magnolia hallways. The eerie retro corridors and atmospheric spaces evoke comparisons to more recent interior narratives by artists...

6.8

133 votes

6.8

133 votes

No Home Movie

2015 · Documentary · 115 min. · Belgium

Direction Chantal Akerman

Cast Natalia Akerman · Chantal Akerman

Synopsis No Home Movie (2015) is a deeply personal documentary that centers around the life of the mother of renowned filmmaker Chantal Akerman. Set in Brussels, the film is constructed from a series of intimate interviews with Akerman's mother, who was...

6.8

305 votes

6.8

305 votes

From the Other Side

2002 · Documentary · 103 min. · France

Direction Chantal Akerman

6.8

75 votes

6.8

75 votes

6.8

103 votes

Night and Day

1991 · Movie · 92 min. · France

Direction Chantal Akerman

Cast Guilaine Londez · Thomas Langmann · François Négret · Nicole Colchat

Synopsis Night and Day (1991) follows the unconventional love story of Jack and Julie, a couple residing in a modest apartment in Paris. By night, Jack takes to the streets as a taxi driver, while Julie explores the city's nocturnal allure....

6.8

209 votes

6.8

209 votes

Down There

2006 · Documentary · 78 min. · Belgium

Direction Chantal Akerman

Synopsis Down There (2006) captures Chantal Akerman's brief residence in a Tel Aviv apartment, exploring the essence of everyday life in this unique setting. The documentary delves into the question of whether ordinary life can exist in such a place and...

6.7

89 votes

6.7

89 votes

Almayer's Folly

2011 · Movie · 127 min. · Belgium

Direction Chantal Akerman

Cast Stanislas Merhar · Marc Barbe · Aurora Marion · Zac Andrianasolo

Synopsis Almayer's Folly (2011) follows the narrative of a European trader, Kaspar Almayer, whose aspirations for wealth and prosperity for his cherished daughter, Nina, crumble due to his own avarice and bias. Set against the backdrop of a lush, exotic landscape,...

6.6

159 votes

6.6

159 votes