No. 004 - 'Jeanne Dielman' by Chantal Akerman (1975)

Watched by Matthew Donlan at the Hayden Orpheum

Across three days a woman’s life is knocked off kilter, resulting in a discomforting but engrossing experience in Jeanne Dielman, 23 quai du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles.

Jeanne Dielman (Delphine Seyrig) lives in a small apartment with her son, Sylvain (Jan Decorte). We observe her daily routine as she peels potatoes, washes the dishes, cleans her son’s shoes, collects her widow pension and buys groceries. She is also a sex worker. Each day a different man arrives at her apartment, they enter her room, exit a short time later and exchange money. However, on the second day, after this routine interaction, Jeanne seems out of balance. Forgetful and disorientated, Jeanne’s routine has been disturbed and she does what she can to desperately reinstate order.

This is a film that demands your attention. In its over-three hour runtime, Jeanne’s story unfolds through subtleties of gesture. The first 90 minutes set up a carefully ordered life where housework becomes ritual. With long static shots every action is deliberate and considered. But once things are set off course, these rituals are disrupted. The slight shift, indicated by a changed camera position or a return to the same scene again and again, creates unease in the viewer. An unsettling feeling that things are not quite right without knowing why or how it will be resolved.

50 years later, this film feels more powerful, more alive, than ever. Her daily routine, often described as ‘mundane’ is anything but. It is fascinating to watch, taking on an observational documentary-like quality. It is a way of living that does not exist in our modern world. It is full of time to breathe, to ponder, to reflect. As Akerman said in a 2009 interview with the Criterion Collection, “I made this film to give all these actions which are typically devalued a life on film”.

It is essential that you watch this in a cinema. The large screen and darkened, silent room, gives these actions greater value. At times claustrophobic, the cinema experience invokes the time-travelling ability of film. It strips away modern distractions and simulates a headspace as close to that of Dielman’s as possible. Like her, you must experience the passage of time without distraction and reckon with your choices.

2025 marks the 50th anniversary of the release of Jeanne Dielman, with celebratory screenings likely in the future.

Editor’s Recommendation

This week I want to recommend Universal Language by Matthew Rankin. It is a quaint, simple yet engaging feature that blends Iranian New Wave storytelling with Canadian idiosyncrasies. Go see it at the Golden Age cinema.

Screenings: Thursday 22 May - Wednesday 28 May

Miya Miya Film Club
Chitchat On the Nile (1971, Hussein Kamal)
Wednesday (very limited tickets)

Pink Flamingo Cinema
Castration Movie Anthology I: Traps (2024, Louise Weard)
Saturday

VHS Fleapit
Terminator 2 ‘Shocking Dark’ (1989, Bruno Mattei)
Tuesday

Inner West Filmmakers
Short Film Collection
Saturday

Inner West Libraries Film Club
The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1939, William Dieterle)
Friday

AFTRS Library
The Muppet Movie (1979, James Frawley)
Tuesday

Riverside Parramatta
To Freely Flourish (2024, Victor Wu)
Sunday

Hayden Orpheum | selected highlights
The Lost Boys (1987, Joel Schumacher)
Friday

Memento + Following (Christopher Nolan)
Saturday

Golden Age Cinema | selected highlights
Universal Language (2024, Matthew Rankin)
Thursday, Saturday & Sunday

Crossing (2025, Levan Akin)
Saturday

No Other Land (2024, Adra, Ballal, Abraham & Szor)
Tuesday

Ritz Cinemas, Randwick | selected highlights

Robert Altman Retrospective (link)
M*A*S*H (1970, Robert Altman)
Thursday

Cult Classics (link)
Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me (1992, David Lynch)
Saturday & Monday

Celluloid Film (link)
Paris, Texas (1984, Wim Wenders)
Friday

Classic Matinees (link)
Kind Hearts And Coronets (1949, Robert Hamer)
Saturday & Monday

Make It Musical (link)
Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (1953, Howard Hawks)
Wednesday

Meet Cute (link)
Crazy, Stupid, Love (2011, Glenn Ficarra & John Requa)
Tuesday

Dendy Newtown | selected highlights

Bring Her Back (2025, Philippou Brothers)
Preview Event
Monday

Celluloid Dreams (link)
Zero Dark Thirty (2012, Kathryn Bigelow)
Thursday

Night Shift (link)
The Last Picture Show (1971, Peter Bogdanovich)
Daily

Palace Cinemas | selected highlights

Bring Her Back (2025, Philippou Brothers)
Preview Event
Monday

Cult Vault (link)
The Doom Generation (1995, Gregg Araki)
Monday

Matinee Memories (link)
That’s Entertainment (1974, Jack Haley Jr.)
Saturday

Art Gallery of NSW
The Lovers On the Bridge (1991, Leos Carax)
Sunday

But I’m A Cheerleader (1999, Jamie Babbit)
Wednesday