Tribute to Chantal Akerman

This essay is the memorial address on the life and work of filmmaker, writer, and installation artist Chantal Akerman (1950–2015) by her editor and collaborator of nearly thirty years, Claire Atherton. Atherton emphasizes Akerman’s instinctive way of working, especially on documentary and installation pieces; her preference for frontal shots; her lack of interest in rules, realism, and character psychology; and her humor. The tribute closes with the filmmaker’s own words on her last film, No Home Movie (Belgium/France, 2015).