The film depicts the life of Jeanne Dielman in real time , which Akerman said " was the only way to shoot the film - to avoid cutting the action in a hundred places , to look carefully and to be respectful . The framing was meant to respect her space , her , and her gestures within it " . The long static shots ensure that the viewer " always knows where I am . " '' Jeanne Dielman , 23 quai du Commerce , 1080 Bruxelles '' premiered at the Directors Fortnight at the 1975 Cannes Film Festival and was financially successful in Europe . Writer Peter Handke and filmmaker Alain Tanner have cited it as influential on their work . It was not released in the United States until 1983
1975 Cannes Film Festival
1975 Cannes Film Festival
Jeanne Dielman, 23 quai du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles