Delphine Seyrig on feminism

This very interesting footage comes from behind the scenes of Jeanne Dielmann filming, year 1974.

Delphine Seyrig tells her reasons why every woman should be a feminist, why she supports abortion, what is the difference between position of low-ranked men vs. women, what has changed since she was 14 and what changes she expects women cinema is going to bring. Unfortunately, the footage ends abruptly so we don't get to hear what was the result of questionary on priority difference between educated young men and women, but judging from the beginning of the sentence, it was obviously proven that women, although highly educated, are still very family-oriented in the traditional sense.

Category:

People & Blogs

Tags:

• Delphine Seyrig
• feminism
• women cinema
• 1970s
• abortion right

[artstar19]

Chantal never describes her films as feminist.

[beryozinka]

@artstar19 Well, this is Delphine Seyrig, not Chantal :P Also, whatever Chantal said, Jeanne Dielmann was considered a feminist movie in its time :/

[artstar19]

@beryozinka Just because she may be considered feminist to a few critics doesn't mean that she makes feminist films. Cinema is art. Art is best described by the artist's own interpretation(though it may not be official, if that is what you mean). It may be Delphine talking but it's not her film.

"When people ask me if I am a feminist film maker, I reply I am a woman and I also make films."Akerman, Chantal and David Wood (Interviewer). "La Captive (The Captive)." in: BBC Films. October 2003

[beryozinka]

@artstar19 I really wouldn't make a big fuss about if she is a feminist filmmaker or not. Is that important at all? Would it make her more or less of an artist!? My impression of her movies is that they are very "women oriented", and she also hired actresses who were openly feminist, lesbian or both. So I don't really care if she is "officially" a feminist filmmaker or not. J.Dielmann had a positive infulence on women's question in 1970s and it was the first movie of its kind.

[jasonqueue]

@artstar19 Also, it's pretty smug to make the arbitrary distinction that the director is the only person who imbues anything into a film. It is Delphine's film, just as much as anyone else's.

[jasonqueue]

@artstar19 "I do think [Jeanne Dielmann] is a feminist film because I give space to things that were never, almost never, shown in that way, like the daily gestures of a woman....But more than the content, it's because of the style" --Chantal Akerman in an interview for Camera Obscura no. 2 (1977): pp.118-19. The art vs. feminism debate has been going on for decades now. Art/form is never devoid of ideology and ideology is never without some aesthetic form. Akerman was and is well aware of this.

[vivienmerchant]

I think Chantal wishes to make films which invite thought, without putting prescriptive labels on them. "Jeanne Dielmann" is perhaps the most interesting example; for an actress as committed and intelligent as Delphine Seyrig it would have been impossible not approach the role without bringing her own values to it...this is what actors do. There is no stage in the film where Seyrig appears; she is Jeanne Dielmann. For Seyrig to have an intelligent response -as herself - is entirely justified.

[joye25]

Really interesting vidéo thank you!