RSIFF 2024 – Light on the cinema of origins

During this edition of the festival, Thierry Frémaux, who had the same morning animated A Master Class entitled “Cinefilomania”presented his film in the afternoon Light, cinema!projected in the “Spectacular International” section, capturing the public by its erudition and its passion.

A living historical fresco

Light, cinema! Bring together more than a hundred “animated photographic views” shot by Louis and Auguste Lumière and their operators between 1895 and 1905. These films, superbly preserved and restored by the Lumière Institute in Lyon, are accompanied by a narration that is both informative and captivating provided by Thierry Frémaux. Each 50 second sequence transports us to a bygone era, while paying homage to the eternal magic of the cinematograph. Scenes of daily life at the end of the 19th century, shot in France but also in Japan, Algeria or Vietnam, are punctuated by a soundtrack made up of pieces by Gabriel Fauré, a composer appreciated by the Lumière brothers.

At the time, when these images were captured, they represented a real revolution. For the first time in the history of humanity, spectators could come together and see, together, on a large screen, animated scenes. For many, these projections were also an unprecedented opening to the world, offering them the chance to discover horizons far beyond their native region. Imagine an era when traveling was rare, when the illustrated newspapers were a novelty, and when photography itself had just emerged. Thanks to the cinematograph, spectators could see distant landscapes, foreign customs and scenes from daily life, awakening unprecedented curiosity and wonder. Today, we are saturated with images through social networks, streaming platforms and television. But at that time, each projected view was an open window to the unknown, a real invitation to travel and discovery.

A precious backup of collective memory

Thierry Frémaux shared fascinating anecdotes during the presentation of the film, evoking the colossal restoration work carried out by the Lumière Institute and the preservation of this heritage. The film begins with a view of an exit from the Light factory in Lyon. “” We kept practically intact the place where the first light film was shot, but all the other factories were destroyed. Today, this place welcomes a projection room where people come to see films. In fact the idea is that by the first images of cinema, we see people coming out of a factory, today, people enter this same building to go see a film. ” he explained. This emblematic site, which also houses light prices, has become a place of memory, honoring not only the Lumière brothers, but also major figures of cinema like Francis Ford Coppola and Bertrand Tavernier.

The restoration of light films required meticulous work. “” We have restored several hundred films using the best technologies available. Each 50 -second view offers a unique window on the past“Said Thierry Frémaux. The previous documentary, ” Light ! The adventure begins “, Directed in 2016, had already met with great success. This second part is a continuation, offering a new immersion in the world of Lumière brothers and their operators, who traveled the world to capture new images.

A time trip

The short films of the Lumière brothers offer us an invaluable overview of everyday life with the hinge of the 19th and 20th centuries. Workers leaving a factory to children playing in the streets of Lyon, boats docking in exotic ports to the animated markets of Asia, each view is a time capsule, bringing us back to a time when modernity was beginning to transform societies. These images, shot in distant places, were a window to the unknown for an audience that had never traveled or been exposed to such visions.

Thierry Frémaux also underlines the technical innovation of the Lumière brothers. In addition to capturing moments of life, they have experienced with camera movements, such as traveling trees or shots from trains and boats, thus laying the foundations of many modern cinematographic techniques. Their collaboration with talented operators, such as Alexandre Promio, also made it possible to extend their vision beyond French borders, capturing scenes in Egypt, India or the United States.

A tribute to the cinematographic dream

The film also explores a deeply moving idea: thanks to cinema, death is no longer absolute. The faces and gestures of people filmed by the Lumière brothers continue to live through the decades, offering an intimate connection with the past. “” To discover these films is also to discover people who are no longer there, but who still live through these images, “Said Thierry Frémaux. This reflection on the sustainability of the animated image takes a particular resonance at an era when everyone can immortalize moments of life thanks to smartphones.

For the modern spectator, these films offer an educational and emotional experience. By discovering how people lived at the beginning of the 20th century, their means of transport, their clothes and their leisure, we realize the immense impact of cinema on our perception of the world. These images remind us that, despite the technological advances, the essence of humanity – laughter, gestures, looks – remains timeless.

A cinematographic treasure

Light, cinema! is much more than just a documentary. It is a journey through time, a celebration of ingenuity and the vision of the Lumière brothers, and a tribute to the sustainable power of cinema. With a brilliant narration by Thierry Frémaux, this film invites you to rediscover the beginnings of the seventh art and to reflect on the evolution of our relationship with images.

A film of rare beauty, both moving and inspiring, which recalls that the magic of cinema, although an ancient, remains as powerful.

Below, the film trailer Light ! The adventure begins (2017):

Neïla Driss