- Year: 1974
- Country: Belgium/France
- Director: Chantal Akerman
- Starring: Chantal Akerman, Niels Arestrup, Claire Wauthion
Chantal Akerman’s first proper full length feature, the experimental Je Tu Il Elle is certainly not one for all tastes. With its static shots, almost story-less narration, the film can be a test of patience for some: the first line of dialogue (well, monologue, technically) arrives at 45 minutes, with the first half of the film only consisting of Akerman, playing the lead character, wandering around in her tiny apartment. She writes letters she won’t send, stays on a sugar-only diet and is generally bored and re-arranges her furniture. The film takes a turn when she meets a trucker who gives her a ride. The film explores identity, sexuality, and feminism. What got me the most about it is how cathartic and therapeutic it would appear to have been for Akerman to make such a film: in its abstractions it reveals sorrow and longing – one that begs to be screamed out but instead wanders in one’s mind, limiting them and driving them at the same time.
Cinema Del Peppel 