Chantal Akerman

In this work I am focusing on the personality of Belgian director and screenwriter Chantal Akerman and her style in the movies Jeanne Dielman, 23 Quai du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles and La Bas. I chose these two between many for different reasons. These are one of her first movies and one of her last ones, however there is a strong bond between them. Both movies are similar in how the main character ? a woman who stays at her home better than anything else ? is perceived by the audience. Both women are happy in their stereotypical life and they are fully dedicated to the everyday house chores which stands for some kind of therapy to them. None of these two women is realizing this obvious fact though. I use these two very personal movies to point out the main topics in Akerman's work. I also use a theory of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) to explain the character of Jeanne Dielman more