When the French-German television channel ARTE asked her to participate in its revered Cinema, of Our Time series, Chantal Akerman jokingly suggested herself as subject matter. She envisioned a film consisting of excerpts from her films, grudgingly agreeing to include footage of herself when pressed by the producers.
Thus the film has two parts: in the first Akerman reads a text directly to the camera in a funny, often personal, and always thoughtful confession; in the second she creates an entirely new and original film out of a mosaic of clips taken from her extensive filmography. Including scenes from Jeanne Dielman, her best-known film, to excerpts from experimental films, comedic shorts, musicals, and narrative features, Akerman allows us to dive into her work and take stock of her immense talent.
