After seven months, 700 tags and several thousand keystrokes, The Seventh Art reaches its 100th post (or as many Indian bloggers would like to call it, my 100th ranting/rambling/musing). First off, my thanks to the handful of readers who have been increasing my hit counter over the months. It couldn’t have been possible without you (Well, it could have been, but thanks anyways). So being the 100th post, I would like to take the opportunity to scribble about an event that celebrated the number 100 in some other way.
It is now a widely accepted fact that the Lumiére brothers are the fathers of the seventh art, though a few films had already been made as early as 1888 (Roundhay Garden Scene, Dickson’s experiment, Carmentica et al). Their series of films starting in 1895 notably Arrival of a Train at La Ciotat and Employees Leaving the Lumière Factory have become pieces of historical interest. It is said that the audience fled the theatre thinking that a real train is heading their way!
Take a look at the piece:
Cut to 1995. To commemorate the event of 100 years of cinema, a project called Lumiére et Compagnie (Lumiére & Company) was undertaken. Its intention was to gather the most important contemporary directors at one place and give them a task – To make a film using the same camera that was used by the Lumiére brothers!. Not just that, there were three more rules:
1. The movie should not be more than 52 seconds.
2. The directors should not used synchronized sound
3. Only 3 takes allowed!
The film as such follows the directors making their films with the bizarre device interspersed with miniature interviews upon various questions including their views on mortality of cinema and their own motives for taking up the medium in order to express themselves. Some interesting opinions come out during these sections.
The list of 41 directors by itself is mind boggling with the likes of Abbas Kiarostami, David Lynch, Theo Angelopoulos, Michael Haneke, Zhang Yimou, Wim Wenders and many more (See Tags for the list!). The result- 41 minute films with totally different perspectives. Abbas Kiarostami’s “Dinner for One” is typically his style as he makes an omelet. David Lynch’s bizarre piece, as usual, set in a quiet little suburban town that has more mystery than meets the eye is an instant hit. Zhang Yimou’s “cultural piece” near the China Wall, Gabriel Axel’s tracking sot of the various arts and Wim Wenders’ extension of Wings of Desire are all immensely amusing to watch.
Here is David Lynch’s piece for you:
And Spike Lee’s cute one:
The film by itself is not very extraordinary. But it is all about the event and the massive operation of bringing all the masters under one place and putting them under such constraints that no one else would dare to in any other year. A celebration of Cinema and one for the cinephiles.
October 10, 2008 at 8:55 pm
Congratulations on hitting the 100 post mark.
I’ve been one of those readers increasing your hits this past month. I’m a fellow LAMB and that’s where I first came to the attention of your site.
I love your passion for cinema and your posts are great, I’ll leave more comments in the coming weeks, months and years to come I’m sure.
Once again congratulations and please continue with the great work.
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October 10, 2008 at 9:43 pm
100 posts for you. Make another century!
Shall read the story later.
Cheers.
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October 11, 2008 at 10:50 am
@ Ibe Tolis,
Nice comprehensive site you got there and I love you navigation tabs…
Thanks a lot for visiting…
@ Katya,
Thanks for you support… Keep coming.
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October 11, 2008 at 7:41 pm
Great going! A site which caters both to the beginners(read Me) and the connoisseur(most of the other hit contributors ;) ). Keep it going.
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October 11, 2008 at 8:14 pm
Thanks Kutty…
Keep visiting.
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October 11, 2008 at 10:49 pm
I second Ibetolis.
Agree totally with the first line of all the paragraphs of his comment.
:D
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October 11, 2008 at 10:52 pm
Hey, thanks man…
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October 13, 2008 at 5:08 pm
Great stuff Srikanth. Nothing less expected from you.
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October 13, 2008 at 5:50 pm
Hey, Thanks Ankur
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December 31, 2008 at 7:45 pm
[…] the centenary film Lumiére & Co. (1995), the filmmakers were asked a question: “Is cinema mortal?” If Godard had been asked the […]
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October 3, 2010 at 9:50 pm
[…] Kiarostami’s short for Lumiére and Company (1995), the film made to commemorate a century of cinema, is arguably the best of the 40 odd films […]
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