Musician Owen Ashworth (Advance Bass) joins our ongoing "Alone for the Holidays" series with a discussion of JEANNE DIELMAN, 23 QUAI DU COMMERCE, 1080 BRUXELLES starring Delphine Seyrig. At the age of 25, Chantal Akerman wrote and directed this slow-burning Belgian drama depicting the daily chores of a widowed mother in exacting detail. Through a series of static long takes, we become accustomed to Jeanne Dielman's well-worn pattern of cooking, cleaning, caretaking, and sex work- until the pattern breaks down and her behavior grows increasingly erratic. When first screened at Cannes in 1975, JEANNE DIELMAN was met with a mixed reception, but subsequent re-evaluation deemed it a masterpiece of slow cinema. In the 2022 Sight and Sound poll, JEANNE DIELMAN was voted to be the greatest film of all time by critics, and is but one film of many in Akerman's body of work to grow in esteem since her 2015 death. Join us as we try to figure out the deal with DIELMAN, taking a few diversions into Aki Kaurismäki, Cold Mountain, Playtime, Afire, filming locations, housecleaning, and much, much more!
Check out Owen's music with Advance Bass: https://advancebasemusic.com/
Check out Owen's drawings:
https://www.instagram.com/ownashworth
JEANNE DIELMAN can currently be streamed with subscription to The Criterion Channel or Max.