Golden Eighties

Singing and dancing have held a special place in Akerman’s body of work ever since her first short film, "Saute ma ville"; "Golden Eighties" distills this fascination into a homage to classic Hollywood musicals that simultaneously plays with their conventions. Set in an underground shopping mall comprising little more than a hair salon, a boutique, and a café, the film intertwines love stories, longings, and disappointments that repeatedly erupt into song and dance. Yet this garishly colorful world of consumerism holds other surprises in store—most notably in the form of the shop owner played by Delphine Seyrig, who carries with her experiences of war and the Holocaust that silently imprint themselves upon the present.
(Florian Widegger)