Chantal Akerman is in the spotlight this fall. Almost 10 years after his death, extensive work has been done to highlight the work of the Belgian filmmaker, writer and visual artist by film publisher Capricci, Belgian Cinematek, Jeu de Paume in Paris and, in particular, the Chantal Akerman Foundation.
Chantal Akerman’s name is today primarily associated with her most famous film, Jeanne Dielman 23, Quai Du Commerce, 1080 Brussels, recently voted “the best film in the history of cinema”.
A retrospective of 16 films (which is also a huge success, already with 10,000 viewers!) and a recently released box set allow us to go beyond Jeanne Diehlmann and discover her entire filmography.
The box set released is quite possibly the most complete ever released around the filmmaker’s career. Capricci has done a titanic job of remaking iconic films that have become completely out of reach for some.
In total, this box set includes no less than 46 films (short and long), many previously unreleased on video and all offered for the first time on Blu-ray and some in restored versions.
Why can’t this movie be seen in this almost complete set?
But which movies don’t appear in this nearly complete box set? According to our observations, the film dated 1991 is missing. This is a film that brought together Thomas Langman (a well-known producer of the artist, here as an actor) and Guillain Lowndes (a favorite supporting role in French cinema, who took his first steps here as an actor). This film called Night and Day remains invisible.
what is the reason We asked the publisher of the Capricci box set a question. “This is an unfortunate textbook case, a problem faced by all distributors/publishers of legacy films, the film is currently blocked due to rights reasons, Lori Drew-Lumbroso, head of communications and partnerships at Caprich, tells us.
Nuit et Jour was produced by various companies (including Marilyn Watelet’s Paradise Films, which accompanied Chantal Akerman in almost all of her films), one of which is currently in liquidation. However, until the legal process is closed, which could take several years depending on the disputes that arise during this process, it is not possible for us to follow the “usual” path: buy back the rights -> restore the film -> released in theaters and on video.”
and added: “The Chantal Akerman Foundation and Caprice are still looking for any developments that will allow us to shed light on this very beautiful film..”
Guillain Lowndes recalls her collaboration with Chantal Akerman
AlloCiné recently had the opportunity to ask Guillain Lowndes about this little-known film by Chantal Akerman. The actor, whose face is familiar to moviegoers of Etienne Chatilliers and Bruno Podalides, spoke about this first experience.Exciting“, to our microphone.
“First experience, I have never taken a photo. I had not made a short film. Watching and filming a woman like Chantal Akerman in the special cinema that is hers was simply fascinating. It took me a few months to get over it. It’s just amazing that I started with him.” *
An invisible film can hide another!
Chantal Akerman’s Night and Day isn’t the only film missing from the box. Also missing is a TV movie broadcast by Arte in the 90s. “Indeed, it is the same scenario, although slightly different, in the filmography of Chantal Akerman. The second movie we couldn’t include is Portrait of a young girl in late 60s in Brussels, Loris Drew-Lumbroso tells us.
It is a made-for-television film, in this case La Sept / Arte, as part of a directorial collection by Pierre Chevalier and Chantal Poupeau called “Boys and Girls of All Their Ages,” which brings together filmmakers such as Patricia Mazoui (Travolta and me), Cedric Kahn (too much happiness), Andre Techine (wild reed), Claire Dennis (USA go home) or Olivier Assayas (cold water).
and added: “All these movies are completely invisible because the music rights have expired. In fact, each film is set in a specific era and uses the iconic music of that period to represent it. The rights were negotiated only for television broadcasts and for a fairly short duration (except for films that had a long version in their theaters, such as Kahn, Téchiné or Assayas, but whose short version was blocked) except that Akerman’s film notably used James. Brown, Leonard Cohen and Johnny Hallyday, so artists whose music is too expensive to use…
We are dependent here on the willingness of the current rights holders, here Arte and Orange Studio, to renegotiate with the record companies to “clean up” the music rights and, at present, no agreement has been found.“
For the record, apart from these two unfortunately lost films, the box set includes 46 films, including some real rarities, and extensive work has been done on bonuses, archives and bonuses specially created for the box set. Available for sale on Capric’s website.
A major “journey” exhibition on Chantal Akerman has just begun at the Jeu de Paume in Paris. It will be visible until January 19, 2025.
* Commentaries collected by Thomas Desroches and Bridget Baronet at the Angoulême Francophonie Film Festival 2022.
Source: Allocine
Rose James is a Gossipify movie and series reviewer known for her in-depth analysis and unique perspective on the latest releases. With a background in film studies, she provides engaging and informative reviews, and keeps readers up to date with industry trends and emerging talents.
