FRA9 FILE · French cinema
History of French cinema
From the first screening to contemporary directors.
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key points: Lumière · Poetics · Nouvelle Vague · Today
1895: cinema becomes a show
In Lyon and then Paris, the Lumière brothers developed the Cinématographe. Their short views showed workers, trains, families and streets; everyday life suddenly became a projected event.
Méliès, poetry and realism
Georges Méliès quickly understood that film could invent worlds. Later, poetic realism combined working-class settings, fatalism and stars such as Jean Gabin.
Post-war cinema and the New Wave
In the late 1950s Truffaut, Godard, Varda, Rohmer and others filmed more freely, often in the street with small crews. Editing, sound and stories became more personal.
Comedy, auteurs and diversity
French cinema is not one style. It ranges from popular comedy and auteur film to crime, animation, documentary and international co-production. That diversity helps explain the lasting strength of cinemas.
Cinema today
The CNC supports creation and publishes attendance figures. French cinemas remain a major cultural network in Europe even as platforms and new screens change viewing habits.
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