Classic Film Champ Thierry Frémaux Celebrates the 130th Anniversary of Cinema With Feature-Length Lumière Film

The focus is squarely on Thierry Frémaux, the head of Cannes, as he selects the films that will be showcased at the upcoming festival. Simultaneously, in his role as director of the Institut Lumière, he guides film enthusiasts towards the roots and origins of cinematography.

The museum situated in Lyon was constructed at the location where, on March 19, 1895, Auguste and Louis Lumière first introduced their groundbreaking creation, which they would later name Cinematograph. This device captured a scene of the workers exiting the family’s photography materials factory.

130 years after they were first captured on celluloid, the characters seem to come back to life in “Lumiere! The Adventure Continues,” where Frémaux serves as both director and narrator, bringing together almost 100 groundbreaking examples of early cinema. This project is a continuation of a long-standing endeavor aimed at making these early films accessible and understandable to a wider audience.

After being frozen on film for 130 years, the characters in “Lumiere! The Adventure Continues” appear to come alive once more. This movie gathers nearly 100 of the earliest films ever made, with Frémaux overseeing and explaining them. The project is part of a long-term effort to show these early films to more people and help us better understand their significance.

He clarifies that while he wasn’t physically born in Telluride, he considers it his ‘film-born’ place as he presented shows at the film festival, screening Lumière films and offering commentary.

On March 19th, Frémaux debuts the movie in France, and later in June, provides a screening platform for the general audience to view individual Lumière films separately.

As a movie reviewer in 2023, reflecting on my role in the creation of “Lumierre: A Timeless Journey,” I wanted to bring the classic Lumière films back to the silver screen for a new generation. To achieve this, we needed to update their short 50-second clips into a full-length, contemporary movie experience, lasting approximately an hour and a half. So, in essence, with over 100 original Lumière films, we crafted one fresh, modern masterpiece that honors their timeless legacy.

In my exploration of the Lumière Institute, I was taken aback to discover that the Lumières were experimenting with innovative techniques as early as 1895, such as attaching a camera to a boat or train and recording footage while in motion – something I had always associated more with F.W. Murnau’s “Sunrise” from three decades later. Little did I know that the Lumière films were relatively unknown outside of a handful of famous exceptions.

The invention of cinema has been a topic of much discussion for many years. However, it’s important to remember that cinema was not created by a single individual. Instead, it evolved over time, with significant contributions from various inventors. The Lumières claim that the final piece of the puzzle was put in place on March 19 in Lyon. To compare, discovering a cure for AIDS tomorrow wouldn’t mean you invented the microscope. The Lumière brothers built upon existing work, including that of Thomas Edison and William Dickson. My film focuses on how they utilized this invention after its creation.

You’ve mentioned only Louis Lumière; aren’t both brothers recognized as the “fathers of cinema”? Don’t they share this credit equally?Although their names are jointly credited with inventing cinema, Louis was the one who spearheaded the project, developing and managing the invention. Auguste, on the other hand, had a keen interest in biology and medicine and made only one film for enjoyment. He seldom discussed or contributed to the field of cinema.

Let’s discuss your process for choosing the films included in the project. It’s fascinating! Out of 1,428 submitted films, only 1,417 made it to the final cut. I’ve been immersed in Lumière films, so I have a deep understanding of them. I aimed to provide a broad spectrum – covering various themes, artistic styles, and visual qualities. In the end, I decided to incorporate a mediocre film, one that didn’t quite hit the mark, as a reminder that not every attempt is a success. Our team consisted of exceptionally skilled cameramen, as well as those who were still learning their craft.

As a film curator, I’ve had the privilege of displaying some of the earliest home movies, travel videos, short documentaries, and comedic shorts. My role in Cannes and with the Lumière films is to bring these visual treasures to light, and by categorizing them based on theme, I aim to demonstrate how a unique, poetic, and cinematic language gradually emerged.

In the latter part of the 19th century, we find ourselves experiencing a sense of joy and anticipation amidst progress towards modernity. Movies serve as both a reflection and a testament to this transformation, bridging the gap between us and those unfamiliar faces – they are our contemporary neighbors as well as our ancestors from a bygone era.

Why do you believe that these old films continue to hold significance in today’s world?

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2025-03-19 22:18