Je, tu, il, elle

At the age of 23, after having shot a series of shorts, Akerman began making her first feature film, which was as enigmatic as it was groundbreaking. Shot on 16 mm on a shoestring budget in just over a week, the film is divided into three minimalist black-and-white episodes. In the first part, the audience (tu/you) encounters the young Julie (je/I), played by Akerman herself, who is seen in an anonymous apartment, restless, writing letters, eating sugar. In the second part, Julie hitchhikes with a truck driver (he) who holds a monologue. The film concludes with Julie’s visit to her ex-girlfriend (she) and a scene that brought sexuality to the screen with a newfound openness.