Golden Eighties
Chantal Akerman / BE, FR, CH, 1986 / 99 min.
Dutch premiere of the digital restoration of Chantal Akerman's musical Golden Eighties. In a shopping gallery, customers and shopping girls cross and meet daily, in Lili's hair salon, in the Schwartz family's ready-to-wear boutique, or at the bar at Sylvie.
The shopping girls in Golden Eighties all dream about love. They talk about it, sing about it, and dance to the rhythm of the shampoo girls’ choir. An excellent ensemble cast, including Delphine Seyrig and eighties pop star Lio, slides through the shopping arcade in a finely directed choreography and to the tones of an infectious pop soundtrack. Akerman herself wrote the lyrics for the deceptively cheerful songs and constantly misleads the viewer. Is this film really an ironic critique of the hyper-commercial 1980s or rather a loving reverie about everyday life?
Akerman thoroughly indulged in the sound design for this film, which is packed with small but meaningful finds. From the click of high heels on the floor to the unwelcome sound of a zipper to the ever-changing tone and volume of the many conversations and chants.
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Details
Director
Chantal Akerman
Production year
1986
Country
BE, FR, CH
Original title
Golden Eighties
Length
99 min.
Language
French
Subtitles
ENG
Format
DCP
Part of
Restored & Unseen
At last, a chance to see that Italian classic that’s been on the list for so long? Or relish that wonderful restoration of Blue Movie, the Netherlands’ most talked-about nude film of the seventies, when the Bijlmer district was still a sexual paradise? Restored & Unseen is a biweekly programme featuring classics and recent restorations, with introductions by experts.
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