lumiere films

8/16/2019 Lumiere Films

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MEMORY OF THE WORLD REGISTER

Lumière Films

Ref. No. 2004-25

PART A – ESSENTIAL INFORMATION

1. SUMMARY

The collection nominated for inclusion in the Memory of the World Register comprises all theoriginal films (negatives and positives) known as the Lumière films (i.e. having round perforations)and listed in the catalogue of !"#$ titles produced at the factory of the %rothers Louis and &ugusteLumière. 'ince films have %een lost! the collection comprises the original films of the!" * Lumière titles that have %een identified and restored (cf. &nne+ ).

2. DETAILS OF THE NOMINATOR

#. ,ame (person or organi-ation)

Archives françaises du film ( rench film archives / & ) of the Centre national de lacinématographie (,ational ilm 0entre / 0,0)

#.# Relationship to the documentary heritage nominated

0ustodian! restorer and preserver

#.$ 0ontact person(s)

1oris Todorovitch / 2irector of film heritage! 0,0

Michelle &u%ert / 2eputy 2irector 0onservator of rench film archives! 0,0

3ean4Louis 0ot / 5ead of the department responsi%le for cataloguing! analysis andlogistics related to the & collections of the 0,0

Ro%ert 6oupard / 5ead of documentary studies related to the & collections ofthe 0,0

#." 0ontact details (address! phone! fa+! email)

Centre national de la cinématographie Archives françaises du film7%is! rue &le+andre Turpault7 $8 1ois d9&rcy 0ede+Tel.: .$ . ". . ;

.$ . ". .$8a+: .$".; .*#.#*

michelle.au%ert=cnc.fr> ro%ert.poupard=cnc.fr


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3. IDENTITY AND DESCRIPTION OF THE DOCUMENTARY HERITAGE

$. ,ame and identification details of the items %eing nominated

The ?Lumière films@ include all the films produced %y cameramen working on %ehalf of the

%rothers Louis and &uguste Lumière and included in the sale lists of the Lumière factory. 'tudy ofthe sale lists has made it possi%le to prepare a catalogue containing num%ers and titles for!" films. our num%ers which were missing from the rench lists have %een allocated fromnum%ers found on the original Lumière %o+es. The complete list therefore contains !"## titles!num%ered from to !" and from #! to #! #$. 'ince film no. #! includes a no. #! %is!there is therefore a total of !"#$ titles.

With the e+ception of films (cf. &nne+ #)! efforts to identify the films have uncovered allthe films that were produced.

The Lumière titles are linked to a serial num%er allocated %y the & data%ase. This num%er

is used to identify all the various elements related to the particular title.$.# 2escription

The Lumière films are! on average! %etween * and 7 metres long! each containingappro+imately photograms. & particular characteristic of these films is the round perforation inthe %ottom third of the image. Most of them are static shots from a single angle. &round # ofthem contain some form of cinematographic effects (still shot! -oom or special effects).

The Lumière films mainly show military events (manAuvres and parades)! everyday scenes(%usy streets! markets)! official events (ceremonies and official Bourneys made %y leaders)! fiction(comical or historical)! circus or music4hall entertainment and the Lumière family. & few filmsdepict the world of work (industry or agriculture).

2etailed information as well as %i%liographical references and the names of e+perts areincluded in the appended %ook and 024RCM entitled La production cinématographique des Frères

Lumière ! pu%lished %y the 0,0! the DniversitE Lumière4Lyon # and the ,ational ilm Li%rary! withthe e+pert assistance of Michelle &u%ert and 3ean40laude 'eguin.

. JUSTIFICATION FOR INCLUSION/ASSESSMENT AGAINST CRITERIA

". &uthenticity

The fact that the films have round perforations proves that they were made using a Lumièrecamera. Cnly Lumière cameras used this type of perforation. 0onseFuently! the authenticity of theLumière films is indisputa%le %ecause of this technical feature.

".# World significance! uniFueness and irreplacea%ility

The Lumière films have world significance for various reasons:

• The Lumière films were the first e+ample of a phenomenon which has now spreadacross the glo%e: the pu%lic showing of film. This phenomenon! which is still popular allover the world! was launched %y the Lumière cameramen in the late nineteenth and early

twentieth centuries.


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• &lthough most of the Lumière films are static shots! the cameramen9s inventiveness wassuch that they produced the first e+amples of cinematographic effects (-oom! editing %ystopping the camera and panoramic shots).

".$ 0riteria of (a) time! (%) place! (c) people! (d) su%Bect and theme! (e) form and style

(a) Time

More than two4thirds of the Lumière films were made %etween 8; and 8 . 2uringthat time! the cameramen filmed all over the world (


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(%) Gntegrity

More than 8; of the Lumière films have %een identified and restored. This is e+ceptional forfilms of this era! since almost of silent films have %een lost.

(c) Threatilms made %efore the 8* s are threatened %y the decomposition of the nitrate with which

they were made. &t present! this affects only two Lumière films. Jirtually the whole collectionremains perfectly intact %ecause all the owners have always %een aware of the value of these filmsand have stored them in optimal preservation conditions. ,evertheless! it is certain that one day theLumière films will also %egin to deteriorate.

(d) Management

Gn 88#! the Archives Françaises du Film of the Centre national de la Cinématographie %eganto identify! list and restore all the Lumière films. Cnce the inventory work was complete! eachLumière film was restored on polyester! with intermediary printing elements also created in orderthat copies could %e made on film without damaging the originals. The Lumière films were alsotransferred on to a professional videotape for %roadcast on television.

!. LEGAL INFORMATION

*. Cwner of the documentary heritage (name and contact details)

The films are owned %y the Lumière family! the e+ploitation of whose rights has %eenentrusted to the &ssociation rères Lumière through an e+clusive order (the association is %ased atthe Archives françaises du film ). The Centre national de la cinématographie initiated and financedthe restoration of the collection and accordingly received funds to cover the restoration costs. Gt hasalso %een given the right to e+ploit the films in the cultural sector.

*.# 0ustodian of the documentary heritage (name and contact details! if different to owner)

Archives Françaises du Film7%is! rue &le+andre Turpault7 $8* 1ois d9&rcy 0ede+

*.$ Legal status:

(a) 0ategory of ownership

The Lumière films are protected %y artistic copyright law.

6ecuniary rights are owned until # $8 %y the Association Frères Lumière . The 0,0agreed to restore the films at a cost of #.* million. Gn return! the Association Frères Lumière !which manages e+ploitation rights on %ehalf of the %rothers9 descendants! pays to the 0,0 a

percentage of the e+ploitation rights.

(%) &ccessi%ility

The Lumière films fulfil the three accessi%ility criteria. &ccessi%ility for reproductionand distri%ution is managed %y the Association Frères Lumière .


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(c) 0opyright status

6ecuniary rights are owned until # $8 %y the Association Frères Lumière . ,on4pecuniary rights are held %y the Lumière estate.

(d) Responsi%le administrationCentre national de la cinématographie

Direction du patrimoine cinématographique7%is! rue &le+andre Turpault7 $8* 1ois d9&rcy 0ede+

". MANAGEMENT PLAN

;. 'ince 88#! the Archives françaises du film have %een implementing a management plan forthe Lumière films in order to fulfil its three tasks of preservation! restoration and distri%ution.

• 6reservation: The Lumière films are stored in cells that are protected from fire %y a specialfire%reak system. They are preserved at a constant temperature of # degrees and constanthygrometry of .


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PART ) – LODGEMENT

This nomination is lodged %y:

(,ame) 1oris Todorovitch

('ignature) (2ate) #7 &pril # "

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