News From Home is a portrait of an artist away from home. In November 1971, Belgian filmmaker Chantal Akerman moved to New York City at the age of 21, living there for two years before returning to Belgium in 1973. Shot entirely on 16mm film, News From Home captures Chantal Akerman’s experience as a young woman alone in a foreign city, layering images of its streets with Akerman’s voiceover reading letters sent to her by her mother during her time abroad.
The result is a unique snapshot of New York City in the mid-1970s, as well as a contemplative meditation on our relationship with places near and far. As Akerman reads her mother’s letters, many of them imploring Akerman to write in reply, her voice fades in and out of the sounds of the city, a tangible symbol of her fading connection to her home and family. Rather than the typical excitement of new adventure that we often see in coming-of-age films, there is a real sense of loss here, of displacement and loneliness.
Through her use of long takes and subdued narration, Akerman creates a beautifully melancholic tone that appears to envelop the entire city. The film perfectly expresses the sense of urban isolation, loneliness, and fascination with one’s surroundings that often accompanies a move to a new city. It also captures the sense of growing distant from family and losing connection to home, which will also resonate deeply for anyone who has left their home behind. Watching the film, it is easy to understand why Akerman felt so compelled to return to Belgium.
News From Home is poignant, full of honesty and truth, and, at times, feels like the longest movie ever made.
Chantal Akerman is a master of slow cinema. Her three-and-a-half-hour film Jeanne Dielman, 23 quai du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles features a Belgian widow doing chores in real time, as we watch her wash dishes or make a meatloaf for ten minutes. While many of Akerman’s films have received high praise and acclaim from cinephiles and critics alike (Jeanne Dielmann topped the most recent Sight & Sound poll, naming it the greatest film of all time), they may feel impenetrably slow to the average moviegoer.
As Akerman’s dubbed voice reads over top of long, unbroken, still shots of empty New York City streets, many viewers may find their patience tested. Lovers of slow cinema will find lots to appreciate here, but, for some, News From Home may be one of those movies that is more interesting to think about than it is to watch. Either way, there is no denying the ideas and emotions behind Akerman’s avant-garde documentary.
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News From Home—Belgium, France. Dialog in French. Directed by Chantal Akerman. Running time 1 hour 29 min. First released December 16, 1976.
This article is part of Cinema Escapist‘s dedicated coverage of the 2025 Vancouver International Film Festival.