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Early French Film at the Jefferson Market Library

France is considered the birthplace ofcinema and has always been at the centerof developments in the medium. StartingFebruary 21st at Jefferson MarketLibrary and continuing on the next fourSaturdays, the class “A Cultural Historyof French Film” will explore the richhistory of French film from its originsin the late nineteenth century until theend of the Second World War. From 3-5p.m. on each Saturday, we will discussfilms from master directors, analyzingthem in the context of larger issues inFrench society while also paying attentionto advances in French film style.Examining the films through the lensof culture will help us to discover howthese filmmakers skillfully related theirstories to the pressing matters of theirday. Our guiding question will be: howcan we understand changes in Frenchpolitics and aesthetics through film?

Our class starts with early silent cinema.We look at films from directors Louis Feuillade, Georges Méliès, and the Lumièrebrothers. We then cover the Avant-Garde and Surrealist period, considering films from Dimitri Kirsanoff, Germaine Dulac, Luis Buñuel, and Jean Vigo. Weend our course studying Poetic Realismand filmmaking under the German occupationof France through the films of Jean Grémillion, Jean Renoir, Marcel Carné, and Julien Duvivier. This list of filmmakersis not exhaustive, however, and is subjectto change due to student interest. During class sessions we will also look at clipsfrom other films, such as Hélène (1936)from co-directors Marie Epstein and JeanBenoit-Lévy, for example. Benoit-Lévyand Epstein powerfully took up the issueof women’s advancement in French societydirectly in their film.

Be sure not to miss screenings of feature length films at 6 p.m. on Monday nights at Jefferson Market. We will screen the following films in their entirety: L’Atalante (1934), Le Jour se lève (Daybreak 1939), La Règle dujeu (The Rules of the Game 1939), Remorques (Stormy Waters 1941). These screenings accompanythe course, and we will discussthe films in class during the following session.In our first class, we will also watch the film, Ménilmontant (1926). In addition to the Monday night screenings and our weekly analytical discussions, we will also cover short readings on French history and film criticism from admired and influential critics such as André Bazin and Louis Delluc. You should expect to leave the course with knowledge of hallmark French films, an understanding of developments in film style, and a comprehension of how these seminal films fit into the larger context of20th century European history. Registrationbegins on February 7. Interested participantsshould stop by the library to sign upin person or call (212) 243-4334.

Maya Sidhu is a PhD Candidate in French/Francophone Studies at NorthwesternUniversity. She received her MA in FrenchLanguage and Civilization from New YorkUniversity in Paris in 2009.

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