RAINING IN NEW YORK - A LETTER FROM AMERICA TO CHANTAL AKERMAN

Raining in New York - A Letter from America to Chantal Akerman is an artistic short film. In fact, it is a metaphorical poem evoking rain over New York at the thought of the late Belgian filmmaker Chantal Akerman’s suicide. It is a postcard evoking her New York period, where she produced her early works in 16 mm, realizing the wish and dream of leaving Europe to come to America. In this short film, the point of view of an artist is well conveyed, which is always difficult to accomplish. There is a notable aspect to this short: the layering of archive footage of New York over images played by Chantal Akerman, the actress. A simple glance at the city suggests her wonder at its beauty and her fear after 9/11. It is impossible not to empathize with Akerman’s character, the only colored character in a black-and-white film. In addition to this, the music and sound design are very well done, as they are always delicate and never aggressive toward the main storyline, representing New York’s relationship with the artist. It is possible that this very close relationship was never fully lived. The director of this short film is Judith Jasmin-Vienneau. A graduate of the University of Quebec at Montreal, with a bachelor’s and master’s degree in communications, Judith Jasmin-Vienneau has recently acquired a master’s degree in television production and a master’s degree in cinematography. In order to produce her first fiction feature, Raining in New York - A Letter from America to Chantal Akerman, she partnered with producer Jean Fugazza, Production Ecranhia. It is the director’s socio-political and critical outlook that resounds throughout her productions and defines what she does. The short film Raining in New York - A Letter from America to Chantal Akerman won the Monthly Competition at the Berlin Indie Film Festival in May 2022. A big congratulations to all crew members!