Là-bas. Down there. Down there has many meanings in this film of Chantal Akerman, her first, last and only film set in Israel. Down there - geographically, perhaps. Down there, là-bas - down memory lane. Down there, in the abyss of memory. Down there, in the darkest memory of 20th century history. Of a family. Of the Jewish people.

Akerman is not just in Israel. She is in a different world, a world of memories. She's in the past. Akerman is like a ghost throughout the film. We can hear her make a coffee. We can hear her brushing . . .

Please register and become a member of The Arts of (Slow) Cinema or login to continue reading. I will not sell your data, I just want to protect my writing from the all-devouring AI bots.