Jeanne Dielman, 23 Quai du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles (1975)

Director:

Chantal Akerman

Writer:

Chantal Akerman

Release Date:

21 January 1976 (France)

Genre:

Drama

Plot:

A lonely widowed housewife does her daily chores, takes care of her apartment where she lives with her teenage son, and turns the occasional trick to make ends meet. However, something happens that changes her safe routine.

Plot Keywords:

Son | Widow | Loneliness | Meat Loaf | Avant Garde

Cast

Delphine Seyrig	...	Jeanne Dielman
Jan Decorte	...	Sylvain Dielman
Henri Storck	...	1st Caller
Jacques Doniol-Valcroze	...	2nd Caller
Yves Bical	...	3rd Caller
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Chantal Akerman	...	Neighbor (voice) (uncredited)

Directed by
Chantal Akerman		(as Chantal Anne Akerman)

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Chantal Akerman

Produced by
Guy Cavagnac	....	producer
Alain Dahan	....	producer
Liliane de Kermadec	....	producer
Corinne Jénart	....	producer
Evelyne Paul	....	producer
Paul Vecchiali	....	producer

Cinematography by
Babette Mangolte

Film Editing by
Patricia Canino

Art Direction by
Philippe Graff

Makeup Department
Éliane Marcus	....	makeup artist

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Serge Brodsky	....	assistant director
Marianne De Muylder	....	assistant director
Marilyn Watelet	....	assistant director

Art Department
Jean-Pol Ferbus	....	assistant art director

Sound Department
Bénie Deswarte	....	sound recordist
Jean-Paul Loublier	....	sound re-recordist
Alain Marchall	....	sound editor
Françoise Van Thienen	....	sound recordist

Editorial Department
Martine Chicot	....	assistant editor
Catherine Huhardeaux	....	assistant editor

Other crew
Jean-Pol Ferbus	....	assistant art editor
Sami Frey	....	making-of director

Production Companies

• Ministère de la Culture Française de Belgique
• Paradise Films
• Unité Trois

Distributors

• Carlotta Films (2007) (France) (theatrical) (re-release)
• Janus Films (2009) (USA) (theatrical)
• New Yorker Films (1983) (USA) (theatrical) (subtitled)
• Olympic Films (1976) (France) (theatrical)
• Other Cinema (????) (UK) (theatrical)
• Criterion Collection, The (2009) (USA) (DVD)

Also Known As:

Runtime:

201 min | Argentina:201 min (Buenos Aires Festival Internacional de Cine Independiente)

Country:

Belgium | France

Language:

French

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Argentina:13 | France:U | USA:Not Rated

Filming Locations:

Brussels, Brussels-Capital, Belgium

Company:

Ministère de la Culture Française de Belgique

Trivia:

French visa # 45424

Goofs:

Boom mic visible: On the morning of Day 2, as Jeanne is polishing her son's shoes in the kitchen, the shadow of the boom mic can be seen moving along the white curtains and wall behind her.

Quotes:

[repeated lines]
Jeanne Dielman:Don't read and eat!

Movie Connections:

Edited into Les variations Dielman (2010)

Soundtrack:

Bagatelle for Piano

A seminal work of modern art.

This is one of the few films that I would absolutely defend as a key work of contemporary art. This means that the narrative strategies, formal devices and content of this film place it as a major influence in literature, theory, theater and the visual arts. Quite simply this was a major breakthrough for feminist filmmaking (A major breakthrough for filmmaking period). The great Delphine Seyrig plays a woman (mostly silently) going about her daily tasks. And through penetrating observation we begin to realize the utter frustration and oppression of her life. The film is a thrilling, painful, existential document that really gives validation and agency to the struggle of women against the visible and invisible hands of patriarchy