Chantal Akerman’s life and career will be celebrated at free event at Lincoln Center
Who: Jonas Mekas, Babette Mangolte, Andrew Bujalski, more to be announced
What: Tribute to Chantal Akerman
Where: Film Society of Lincoln Center, Walter Reade Theater, 165 West 65th St. between Eighth Ave. & Broadway
When: Saturday, March 19, free, 10:00 am
Why: The Film Society of Lincoln Center and City College of New York are teaming up for a memorial tribute on March 19 for Belgian-born, Paris-based pioneer, writer, director, teacher, and artist Chantal Akerman, who died on October 5 of last year at the age of sixty-five, apparently by suicide. For “Chantal Akerman: New York Remembers,” friends and colleagues will gather at the Walter Reade Theater for a free tribute to the longtime New Yorker; admission is first come, first served. The scheduled guests so far include Anthology Film Archives cofounder Jonas Mekas, longtime Akerman cinematographer Babette Mangolte, and mumblecore master Andrew Bujalski, with more to be announced. Whether making short films, a Hollywood movie, documentaries, or cutting-edge experimental works, Akerman always did things her way; among her major triumphs were I, You, He, She; News from Home; and the one and only Jeanne Dielman, 23 quai du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles. The presentation will feature film clips, personal memories, music, and more, followed by a reception in the Furman Gallery. In 2013, Bujalski (Funny Ha Ha, Mutual Appreciation), in an interview with Vulture’s Jennifer Vineyard, cited Akerman as one of his influences: “I studied film as an undergrad at Harvard, and she was my thesis adviser. She gave me two pieces of advice, which I haven’t taken yet. She told me girls wouldn’t like me until I stopped dressing like a fourteen-year-old, and that I should stop being pretentious and just make comedies. I think of Computer Chess as a comedy, but it probably behooves me to go out and make a real one sometime.” More guests are expected to be announced for this two-and-a-half-hour special event. (In addition, BAMcinématek will be hosting a career retrospective of Akerman’s work in the series “Chantal Akerman: Images between the Images,” running April 1 through May 1, while Film Forum will be presenting Marianne Lambert’s I Don’t Belong Anywhere: The Cinema of Chantal Akerman for free March 30 through April 1, followed by Jeanne Dielman April 1-7 for $14.)