Gender and art

Chantal Akerman, a highly influential voice in experimental and feminist cinema, has died unexpectedly

Jane Campion says the industry keeps women's films out of view, as only two by female directors are up for Palme d'Or

"The Associated Press and many other sources are reporting that Czech film director Vera Chytilová died today at age 85, after apparently “battling an unspecified illness for several years.” Chytilová is best remembered for her 1966 avant-garde masterpiece, Daisies. She was unique in the history of Czech cinema as a high-profile director during the New Wave, Normalization, and post-Communism periods who did not pursue a filmmaking career outside the country."

L'Académie des Oscars, qui compte 6000 membres a invité quelques 271 professionnels du cinéma (acteurs, réalisateurs, producteurs...) à rejoindre ses rangs.

Parmi ces invités, représentant les plus "talentueux, créatifs et passionnés" des artistes d'aujourd'hui, on retrouve Chantal Akerman. Réalisatrice de documentaires et de longs métrages de fiction depuis 1968, Chantal Akerman est connue pour Jeanne Dielman, 23, quai du commerce, 1080 Bruxelles (1975) ou encore plus récemment pour La Captive (2000) et La Folie Almayer (2012).

"When Mira Nair travelled to the backstreets of Bombay in the summer of 1987 to shoot her first feature film, Salaam Bombay!, she was repeatedly warned that it was impossible. People told her it was inconceivable to shoot with actors in the red-light district and in the busy train stations, that it was unthinkable to teach illiterate street urchins to act alongside professionals, and to use real crowds, prostitutes and parades to make her film.

But her perseverance paid off. That spring, the 31-year-old Indian director won the Camera d’Or at Cannes for best first feature film."

At this year’s London Lesbian & Gay Film Festival we’re celebrating the pioneering filmmaker Chantal Akerman. Yet outside of cinephile circles, few people have heard of her, and those who have would be unable to recite the full title of her most famous work.

So for novices, or those who just want to brush up on their Akerman, here are a few key points about one of the most significant yet still neglected directors in world cinema.