Frémaux Documentary Restores Early Lumière Films
Why this is here: The documentary concludes with a remake of the Lumière brothers’ first film, La Sortie de l’usine Lumière à Lyon, this time directed by Francis Ford Coppola as a tribute to the late Bertrand Tavernier.
Thierry Frémaux, director of the Cannes Film Festival, released a documentary featuring 100 films by the Lumière brothers. The films, dating from the late 19th century, were carefully restored and represent the first world heritage of cinema.
Frémaux, who also heads the Institut Lumière, describes the project as a duty to return these short films to theaters. He believes cinema preserves a sincere record of the past. He often carries a USB drive with these films, sharing them whenever possible.
A previous documentary, Lumière! L’aventure commence, reintroduced these early films in 2016. Frémaux notes cinema has repeatedly faced predictions of its demise, surviving wars, television, and even the COVID-19 pandemic. The new film’s release on May 19, 2025, will coincide with the 130th anniversary of the Lumière brothers’ first film.