Early cinema. Vol. 01

Selected and compiled by the British Film Institute Film and Video Library, this 2 part series on early cinema presents a variety of films from the pre-1910 period. The selection tries to represent issues that are currently written about and refutes claims that “primitive” filmmaking was a series of progressive movements towards classic narrative cinema. Titles from the Lumiere studios include: “Sortie d’usine”; “Repas de bebe”; “Demolition d’un mur”; “Le Jardinier et le petit espiegle (L’Arroseur arrose)”; “Arrivee des Congressistes a Neuville-sur-Saone”; “Arrivee d’un train en gare a La Ciotat”; “Partie d’ecarte”; “Barque sortant du port”; “Leaving Jerusalem by railway”; “Bataille de boules de neige”; “Pompiers a Lyon”; “Niagra”; “Spanish bullfight”. Titles from the Melies studio include: “Voyage a travers l’impossible”. Titles from the Acres studio include: “Rough sea at dover”. Titles from the R.W. Paul studio include: “Come along do!”; “The Derby”; “The Countryman and the cinematograph”; “A Chess dispute”; “Extraordinary cab accident”; “Buy your own cherries”; “The ? Motorist”. Titles from the George Albert Smith Films studio include: “The Miller and the sweep”; “The Kiss in the tunnel”; “Let me dream again”; “Grandma’s reading glass”; “As seen through a telescope”; “Sick kitten”; “Mary Jane’s mishap, or don’t fool with paraffin (Here lies Mary Jane who lighted the fire with paraffin)”. Titles from the Sheffield Photographic Company include: “Daring daylight burglary”. Titles from the Haggar and Sons studio include: “Desperate poaching affray”. Titles from the Bamforth and Company Ltd include: “The Kiss in the tunnel”; “Ladies skirts nailed to a fence”; “The Bitter bit (aka A Joke on the gardener)”; “Rough sea”. Titles from Williamson’s Kinematograph Company Ltd include: “Attack on a China mission”; “The Big swallow”; “Stop thief”; “Fire”; “An Interesting story”. A voiceover provides a brief overview of each production studio prior, and during the presentation of films the studio has produced. Piano accompaniment by Neil Brand.