The COVID-19 pandemic has lots of us still stuck on the couch, restricted on what we can do with our free time; no clear end in sight. After all this time it’s only healthy to want to get out there, see friends, party, travel… Go on an adventure. But with this not being the smartest thing to do right now, we have to settle for the second-best thing; getting lost in the movies. And what better genre to dive into than adventure? A genre that’s all about leaving home and travelling to fulfill a goal. A genre that’s all about its settings; not being one’s living room.
Female pioneers of cinema in focus
published : 18 Dec 2020 at 04:00
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Alice Guy (1873-1968) was considered the first director of fiction films. And yes, she was a woman.
When cinematography was invented in 1895, the new machine was used to capture images to present reality as it was (women leaving a factory, a train approaching a station, family gatherings, etc). It was Guy who believed that the camera could also be used to tell a fictional story instead of just being a recording device of things taking place in real life. In 1896, Guy suggested to Léon Gaumont, the owner of Gaumont Film Company, that he abandon simple shots to shoot small scripted stories fiction films. She got the authorisation directly, an exceptional feat back then and still is today.