Claire Atherton


Claire Atherton is a film editor who was a close collaborator of Chantal Akerman since the mid-1980s. Over the years, she has also worked with a wide range of international filmmakers. In 2019, she was honored with the Vision Award Ticinomoda at the 72nd Locarno International Film Festival, becoming the first woman to receive this distinction.

Biography

Early life and education

Born in 1963 in San Francisco, U.S., Atherton grew up in New York and later in Paris. She now lives and works in France. Her parents are Ioana Wieder, a French filmmaker of Romanian Jewish origin, and John Atherton, an American academic. Her sister is the cellist Sonia Wieder-Atherton.
Drawn early on to Taoist philosophy and Chinese ideograms, she spent several months in China in 1980, studying at the Institute of Foreign Languages in Beijing. Upon returning to France, she enrolled at the National Institute for Oriental Languages and Civilizations in Paris.
Her first professional experience came in 1982 at the in Paris, where she worked as a video technician. In 1984, she entered the professional program at the École Nationale Supérieure Louis-Lumière in Paris, graduating in 1986. Soon after, she began working with both sound and image, collaborating notably with Delphine Seyrig and Carole Roussopoulos on projects for the Centre Simone de Beauvoir, among others. From the 1990s onwards, her focus shifted primarily to film editing.

Encounter and collaboration with Chantal Akerman

Claire Atherton met Chantal Akerman in 1984 during the stage adaptation of Letters Home: Correspondence 1950-1963 by Sylvia Plath, performed by Delphine Seyrig at the Théâtre Moderne de Paris. At the time, Seyrig—then President of the Centre Audiovisuel Simone de Beauvoir—invited Akerman and Atherton to film the production.
"I quickly sensed, when we began editing, that it would be the beginning of a long story between Claire and me," Akerman later recalled.
That encounter marked the start of a creative partnership that would span over three decades. In 2007, Chantal Akerman spoke openly about the deep creative connection she shared with Claire Atherton in the editing room:
"We're in such osmosis that sometimes we don't even need to talk to each other. For example, a shot—the length of a shot. We look at it and both tap the table at the same moment: we see the same things, we know when to stop. There's nothing logical about the length of a shot. It's all about feeling. And it's a miracle to find someone who feels the way you do."
Their collaboration extended beyond cinema into the realm of video installations, a medium Akerman began exploring in 1995. Atherton played a central role in shaping these works, helping to develop an editing approach that was "not only temporal but also spatial". Today, she continues to oversee the conception and spatial design of Chantal Akerman’s installations, which are still exhibited in France and internationally.
Atherton contributed to nearly all of Akerman’s major works—documentaries, fiction films, and installations—up until No Home Movie and NOW, the latter presented at the 2015 Venice Biennale in 2015.
On November 16, 2015, ahead of the premiere of No Home Movie at the Cinémathèque française in Paris, Atherton paid tribute to her late collaborator by reading a personal text she had written in Akerman’s honor.

Film editing: fiction, documentaries, video installations

In addition to her long-standing collaboration with Chantal Akerman, Claire Atherton has worked with a wide range of filmmakers and artists, both in France and internationally. Since the 1980s, she has edited more than 80 works—including short and feature films, art films, experimental pieces, documentaries, and video installations—spanning projects from cinema to contemporary art exhibitions.
In 2000, she met Luc Decaster for the editing of Rêve d’usine, and has edited all his films since.
In 2023, Noëlle Pujol spoke about their regular collaboration since 2007:
"Claire Atherton edits fiction films, documentaries and video installations. That’s why I wanted to work with her. We’ve been working together since 2007. Claire often compares the act of editing to that of sculpting. Far from using images and sounds to serve a message, she listens to them and shapes them to give birth to the film. Claire places questioning and movement at the heart of her work. She is not so much interested in providing answers as in asking questions to keep cinema alive."

After the death of Chantal Akerman, she met Éric Baudelaire, an artist and filmmaker with whom she began a particularly rich collaboration starting in 2015. From then on, she became the editor of all his films, and it was with her that he began creating his first video installations.
Among some of the other projects she has worked on are Mafrouza, a multi-part documentary by Emmanuelle Demoris for which she edited the segments Cœur and Oh la nuit in 2007, and Au Monde by Christophe Bisson in 2013.
More recently, in 2023, Atherton edited Man in Black, a film by Wang Bing selected for the Official Competition at the Cannes Film Festival. She also worked on The Vanishing Point by Bani Khoshnoudi, which received the Burning Lights Competition Award at the Visions du Réel Festival in 2025.

Work beyond editing

Atherton is regularly invited to lead masterclasses and workshops for emerging filmmakers, both in France and internationally, at institutions such as La Fémis,, or EICTV—La Escuela Internacional de Cine y TV. She frequently contributes essays published in specialized books and occasionally online. Her essay “The Art of Editing” is featured in the anthology Montage, co-published by HEAD and MAMCO.
In November 2023, she was invited to curate an exhibition of works by Chantal Akerman at . Facing The Image, her first curatorial project, was later presented at Artium Museoa in Vitoria-Gasteiz in May 2025.’

Recognition

In 2013, her work has been honoured with a comprehensive retrospective at the Grenoble Cinémathèque — an unprecedented tribute to the body of work of an editor.
In 2019, Atherton was awarded the Vision Award Ticinomoda at the 72nd Locarno International Film Festival,’ becoming the first woman to receive the honor. Since its inception in 2013, the award "both highlights and pays tribute to someone whose creative work behind the scenes, as well as in their own right, has contributed to opening up new perspectives in film".

Filmography

Films (editing)

1984: Le Centre Flora Tristan by Hélène Bourgault1986: Letters Home by Chantal Akerman1986: Rue Mallet-Stevens by Chantal Akerman1986: Le Marteau by Chantal Akerman1989: Marguerite Paradis by Chantal Akerman1992: Igor by Jean-François Gallotte1992: Le cinéma est mort vive le cinéma by Emilio Pacull1993: D'Est by Chantal Akerman1993: Les Profiteroles, couples mixtes à Cuba by Emilio Pacull1994: Le Gamelan by Alain Jomy1994: Les Colonnes d'Hercule d'Emilio Pacull1994: Le Cinéma européen by Emilio Pacull1996: Un divan à New York by Chantal Akerman1996: Chantal Akerman par Chantal Akerman, in the collection "Cinéma de notre temps"1996: Les Collèges en Seine Saint-Denis by Emilio Pacull1997: Héros désarmés by Béatrice Kordon and Sylvie Ballyot1997: Le jour où... by Chantal Akerman1997: Ouganda, l'enfance kidnappée by Emilio Pacull1997: L'Épousée by Françoise Grandcolin1998: Emma, tribu kanak d'aujourd'hui by Emilio Pacull1999: Sud by Chantal Akerman1999: Km 250 by Anne Faisandier2000: La Captive by Chantal Akerman2001: Rêve d'usine by Luc Decaster2001: Filles de nos mères by Séverine Mathieu2002: De l'autre côté by Chantal Akerman2002: Avec Sonia Wieder-Atherton by Chantal Akerman2003: Demain on déménage by Chantal Akerman2004: Opération Hollywood by Emilio Pacull2004: Autour d'hier, aujourd'hui et demain by Chantal Akerman2005: Là-bas by Chantal Akerman2005: Héros fragiles by Emilio Pacull2006: Portrait de Pascale, menuisière by Séverine Mathieu2006: Rien n'a été fait by Noëlle Pujol and Ludovic Burel2006: Du sucre et des fleurs dans nos moteurs by Jean-Michel Rodrigo2007: Entretiens avec Babette Mangolte, Natalia Akerman, Aurore Clément, DVD set « Chantal Akerman les années 70 »2007: Mafrouza « Cœur », « Oh la nuit » by Emmanuelle Demoris2008: Mr President by Emilio Pacull2008: L'Écume des mères by Séverine Mathieu2008: Tous les enfants sauf un by Noëlle Pujol and Andreas Bolm2008: Fantaisie pour un château d'eau by Noëlle Pujol2008: A l'Est avec Sonia Wieder-Atherton by Chantal Akerman2009: Tombée de nuit sur Shanghai by Chantal Akerman2009: Petites Histoires de mères by Séverine Mathieu2009: Dieu nous a pas fait naître avec des papiers by Luc Decaster2009: Ceux de Primo Levi by Anne Barbé2010: Histoire racontée par Jean Dougnac by Noëlle Pujol2010: Sorcières mes sœurs by Camille Ducellier2010: Detroit ville sauvage by Florent Tillon2010: On est là by Luc Decaster2011: La vie est ailleurs by Elsa Quinette2011: La Folie Almayer by Chantal Akerman2011: Die Wiedergänger by Andreas Bolm2011: Avenue Rivadavia by Christine Seghezzi2012: Noctambules by Ilham Maad2012: Video design for La Jungle des villes by Bertolt Brecht 2012: Hungry Man by Philippe Martin2013: Au monde by Christophe Bisson2013: Effacée by Anna Feillou2013: Si j'existe je ne suis pas un autre by Marie Violaine Brincard and Olivier Dury2014: Qui a tué Ali Ziri ? by Luc Decaster2014: Histoires de la plaine by Christine Seghezzi2015: No Home Movie by Chantal Akerman2015: Aux Capucins by Anna Feillou2016: Jumbo Toto histoires d'un éléphant by Noëlle Pujol2016: Le Juge by Andreas Bolm2016: Silêncio by Christophe Bisson2016: Danse avec l'écume by Luc Decaster2017: Also Known As Jihadi by Éric Baudelaire 2018: Walked the Way Home by Éric Baudelaire2018: Les cavaliers fantômes by Christine Seghezzi2018: Altérations / Kô Murobushi by Basile Doganis2019: Un film dramatique by Éric Baudelaire2020: The Glove by Éric Baudelaire2020: Le chant des oubliés by Luc Decaster2021: When There Is No More Music to Write by Éric Baudelaire2021: Une Fleur à la Bouche by Éric Baudelaire2020: Les lettres de Didier by Noëlle Pujol2022: Un souvenir d'archives by Christophe Bisson2022: Intermède by Maria Kourkouta2023: Man in Black by Wang Bing 2024: Fogo do Vento by Marta Mateus2024: Sob a chama da candeia by André Gil Mata2025: Regarde avec mes yeux et donne-moi les tiens by Noëlle Pujol2025: The Vanishing Point by Bani Khoshnoudi

Films (photography)

1986: Femmes et Musique, production of Centre audiovisuel Simone de Beauvoir 1986: Rue Mallet-Stevens by Chantal Akerman 1986: Le Marteau by Chantal Akerman 1988: Histoires d'Amérique by Chantal Akerman 1988: L'institut du monde Arabe 1988: Marguerite Paradis by Chantal Akerman 1988: Notes pour Debussy by Jean-Patrick Lebel 1990: Igor by Jean-François Gallotte 2007: Entretiens avec Babette Mangolte, Natalia Akerman, Aurore Clément, DVD set « Chantal Akerman les années 70 »

Installations (editing and spatial design)

  • 1995 : D’Est, au bord de la fiction by Chantal Akerman
  • 1995 : Le 25e écran by Chantal Akerman
  • 1998 : Selfportrait / Autobiography: A Work in Progress by Chantal Akerman
  • 2001 : Woman Sitting After Killing by Chantal Akerman
  • 2002 : From the Other Side by Chantal Akerman
  • 2002 : A voice in the Desert by Chantal Akerman
  • 2003 : From the Other Side, Fragment by Chantal Akerman
  • 2004 : Marcher à côté de ses lacets dans un frigidaire vide by Chantal Akerman
  • 2007 : La Chambre by Chantal Akerman
  • 2007 : Je tu il elle by Chantal Akerman
  • 2007 : In the Mirror by Chantal Akerman
  • 2008 : Femmes d’Anvers en Novembre by Chantal Akerman
  • 2008 : Décor vidéo de Chantal Akerman pour I am a mistake de Jan Fabre
  • 2009 : Maniac Summer by Chantal Akerman
  • 2009 : Tombée de nuit sur Shanghai by Chantal Akerman
  • 2012 : Maniac Shadows by Chantal Akerman
  • 2010 : My Mother Laughs, Prelude by Chantal Akerman
  • 2014 : De la mèr au désert by Chantal Akerman
  • 2015 : NOW, Chantal Akerman by Chantal Akerman
  • 2019 : Tu peux prendre ton temps by Éric Baudelaire
  • 2021 : This Flower in My Mouth by Éric Baudelaire

Published texts

2015: Tribute to Chantal Akerman.
A text written and read by Claire Atherton during the tribute to Chantal Akerman at the Cinémathèque française in Paris on November 16, 2015, before the premiere of No Home Movie. An English translation by Felicity Chaplin was in 2020 by the journal Sabzian. The piece also appeared in the Senses of Cinema issue "Chantal Akerman: An Intimate Passion” and in Camera Obscura: Feminism, Culture, and Media Studies. The text was also featured as an installation in the exhibition Facing the Image in 2023 at La Virreina Centre de la Imatge in Barcelona and in 2025 at Artium Museoa in Vitoria-Gasteiz.2018: The Art of Editing.
In May 2025, Basque, Spanish, and English versions of the original text were published on AMAonline. In November 2025, the English version, illustrated with additional images, was published on e-flux.2018: Can we be in touch with what is?
This text was originally written for the publication of What is Real? Filmmakers weigh in, a bilingual, illustrated volume, published to mark the 40th anniversary of the Cinéma du Réel festival and edited by Andréa Picard. It was later in 2020 by the journal Sabzian.2019: Living Matter.
An English translation by Nicholas Elliott appeared in the of BOMB Magazine and was also in 2020 by the journal Sabzian. Excerpts from the text were featured under the title “About D’Est. Editing Chantal Akerman’s Film” on Versopolis, November 4, 2019.

Interviews

  • 2016: ', Film Comment.
  • 2017: 'Our Way of Working: A Conversation with Claire Atherton about Chantal Akerman', interview with Ivone Margulies, Camera Obscura n°100, pp 13–28.
  • 2018: 'A conversation with Claire Atherton', by Roger Crittenden, Fine Cuts: Interview on the Practice of European Film Editing, New-York: Routledge, 2018.
  • 2019: 'On Chantal Akerman', News From Home: The Films of Chantal Akerman.
  • 2019: , interview with Yaniya Lee, canadianart, 1er mars 2019.2019: '’, Laura Davis, Mubi notebook.2019: '"', Justine Smith, Hyperallergic.2019: , Lorenzo Buccella, News from the Locarno Festival.2023 : , at La Virreina in Barcelona on the occasion of the exhibition Facing the Image''.

Talks and Masterclasses (in English / Spanish)

2016:, Jihlava International Film Festival
  • 2016: : Tel Aviv International Student Films Festival
  • 2016: "", C. Akerman International Symposium, Basel
  • 2017: "", Art Basel2018: "", Frankfurt Univ., Masterclass/presentation of D'est by C. Akerman
  • 2020: "", Eye Museum, Amsterdam
  • 2020: », about the exhibition Chantal Akerman – Passages'', Eye Museum, Amsterdam
  • 2021: "", Thessaloniki International Film Festival, Focus "The Art of Editing"
  • 2023: "", Dones Visuals, Barcelone
  • 2024: "", Filmtopia