Letters from Chantal Akerman’s mother are read over a series of elegantly composed shots of 1976 New York, where our (unseen) filmmaker and protagonist has relocated. Akerman’s unforgettable time capsule of the city is also a gorgeous meditation on urban alienation and personal and familial disconnection. — Janus Films

Great Directors: Chantal Akerman is generously sponsored by Omaha Steaks and Sam Walker.