CINEMATEK and L’Immagine Ritrovata have just completed a new restoration (March 2024) of Chantal Akerman’s beloved and offbeat musical Golden Eighties (1986). The restoration has been realized under the supervision of her close collaborator Luc Benhamou, the film’s camera operator.
An occasion for the public to (re)discover the film, whose relevance and humor is just as prevalent as it was in the eighties! Along the theatrical release in Belgium, Cinema Palace is also paying tribute to the oeuvre and Akerman with an exhibition, On the Set with Chantal Akerman. More information below!
Exhibition Golden Eighties: On the set with Chantal Akerman
In light of this new realization, Cinema Palace presents a free of exhibition showcasing a collection of unpublished of set photographs (Jean Ber), running from April 12 to June 23. This exhibition is also an opportunity for Palace to take a closer look at a lesser-known facet of Chantal Akerman’s work: joyful, colorful, infatuated with popular culture.
In 2022, the Chantal Akerman Foundation received unpublished photographs from Jean Ber, set photographer on the film Golden Eighties. The pop and colorful nature of these photographs convinced Cinema Palace that they could be the topic of an exhibition to complement the events organized at Cinematek and Bozar to celebrate the Belgian artist.
A singular work in Akerman’s filmography, Golden Eighties is a musical comedy set in a recreation of the Toison d’Or galleries in Brussels in the 1980s. The sets, costumes and music are strongly influenced by the era, giving the whole thing an irresistible kitsch touch. And although the themes dear to the director, such as the weight of family and the impossibility of love, are present, the film’s form and choral aspect are imbued with humor and lightness.
Chosen with the photographer and set in a scenography evoking the film’s settings and sequences, the thirty-one photos on display reanimate an enchanted moment.
Theatrical Release in Belgium
Premiering at Cinema Palace on April 11, the new restoration of Golden Eighties will be theatricaly re-released, in Brussels at Cinema Palace and touring around Belgium as part of the launch of Avila! Presents, Cinea’s Classics restored programme and Film Fest Gent On Tour. Follow the links below to find out where to watch the film on the big screen.
