“Demands to be seen on the big screen, where the walls and ceiling of the cinema become the confines of Dielman’s domiciliary rituals.” Kathleen Sachs, Chicago Reader

“An astonishing work of subtextual feminism which has to count as one of the seminal films of the 1970s.” - Eric Henderson, Slant Magazine

Saturday, March 2, 6:15 p.m. | In Chantal Akerman’s hypnotic and methodical JEANNE DIELMAN, the daily routine and chores of a middle-aged woman are studied. Named the greatest film of all time by Sight and Sound in 2022, and recognized as a singular and astonishing masterpiece, Akerman’s film seems simple, but it encompasses an entire world. Its Chicago premiere was held at the Film Center on November 19, 1976, with Akerman in attendance. In an interview with then Film Center curator B. Ruby Rich, Akerman reacted to the early positive responses to the film, saying, “You know, when you make it, you just make it. After it was finished, when I saw the complete film, I said: ‘Oh my god, people will not be willing to stay!’ Because it is very difficult for me to imagine what they are waiting to see in a film in a commercial theater.” Get your tickets in advance, Akerman devotees: people are indeed willing to stay, and JEANNE DIELMAN always sells out.


Chicago European Union Film Festival - Spotlight on BelgiumJoin us this year as we dive into the best of Belgian cinema new and old. Presenting Chicago audiences with a potent cultural immersion and showcasing bright new native talents alongside a slice of repertory favorites. View full festival.


The Film Center thanks the consulates, consuls general, and cultural institutes of the European Union in Chicago and their embassies in Washington, D.C., for their support, partnership, and collaboration. Special thanks to Paul M. Van Halteren, president of EuroChicago and Honorary Consul of Belgium in Illinois, and our 2024 Belgium Spotlight partners:

Belgian Presidency of the EU CouncilBe BrusselsFlandersWallonia ExportWallonie BruxellesFederation WalloniaEuro CircleEUC

European Union Center w/European Union Center at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign through support from the U.S. Department of Education’s Title VI NRC Program.


The Film Center is ADA accessible. This presentation will be projected without open captions. The theater is hearing-loop equipped. For accessibility requests, please email filmcenter@saic.edu