Belgian filmmaking's most revered auteur returns with a freewheeling adaptation of Joseph Conrad's first novel.

Atmospheric, subversive and impeccably controlled, Almayer's Folly continues Chantal Akerman's (Jeanne Dielman, MIFF 79; Night and Day, MIFF 92) lifelong pursuit of a new form of cinematic language.

In the stifling jungles of Malaysia an avaricious Dutch merchant named Almayer tries to find his fortune. But when his plans collapse, he's left with little but a loveless marriage and a land that despises him. The only point of light in his life is his half-caste daughter, Nina, but when he sends her away so that she can become more “white”, the abandonment will have ramifications far greater than expected.

A work of strange ellipsis and hypnotic pacing, Almayer's Folly drags Conrad's work forcefully into the 21st century, finding in it a poetic beauty and a potent, new colonial resonance.

D/S Chantal Akerman P Patrick Quinet, Chantal Akerman WS Doc & Film L French w/English subtitles TD 35mm/2011

See the film and read the book; browse online at Readings.