Alice Guy, First Director - Set of Films

A set of short films by Alice Guy, a pioneer of cinema and one of the first female directors in history, showcasing the diversity of her work — from comedy and cinematic tricks to manners, dramas and experiments with the image.

ABOUT MOVIES:

FAUST AND MEPHISTOPHELES

(Alice Guy) FR 1903 In his laboratory, Dr. Faust conducts experiments and summons the tempter Mephistopheles. The film refers to the legend of Faust, combining fantasy themes with early film effects.

LE MATELAS ALCOOLIQUE (Alice Guy) FR 1906 Surrealist comedy in which the mattress seems to live its own life and moves independently through the fortifications. The film uses an absurd situation to create a comic spectacle.

LA MARÂTRE (Alice Guy) FR 1906 A drama about the fate of a boy who does not know love from his stepmother. Alice Guy tells the story of family relationships and childhood suffering.

QUESTIONS INDISCRÈTES (Alice Guy) FR 1906 Music film starring the French singer Félix Mayol. This is an example of phonoscena—the early form of audiovisual entertainment in which a singer's performance was recorded for the cinema.

LE FILS DU GARDE-CHASSE (Alice Guy) FR 1906 An intimate family drama set in nature. The film combines rural scenery with a story about family relationships and emotions.

CHIRURGIE FIN DE SIÈCLE (Alice Guy) FR 1900 A comedy that uses the theme of a surgical operation that quickly gets out of hand. Absurdity and exaggerated slapstick action turn the treatment into a grotesque spectacle.

LA FÉE AUX CHOUX (Alice Guy) FR 1900 A fairy appears in a cabbage garden from which, according to a popular story, children come. The film is one of the most important early examples of Alice Guy's feature work and her experiments with film fiction.

SUR LA BARRICADE (Alice Guy) FR 1907 A dramatic episode inspired by the events of the Paris Commune. The film refers to the work of Victor Hugo and presents a heroic story set in the realities of street fighting.

L'HIVER: DANSE DE LA NEIGE (Alice Guy) FR 1900 A dancer embodies winter, depicting this time of year through movement and choreography. This is a short, poetic image combining dance with a visual interpretation of nature.

COUCHER D'UNE PARISIENNE (Alice Guy) FR 1900 Short scene of a woman preparing to sleep. The film uses with a grain of salt the customary boldness and voyeurism of private life, characteristic of some of the early film attractions.

LES CHIENS SAVANTS (Alice Guy) FR 1902 Dog training show hosted by Miss Dundee. The film showcases the skills of animals and their trainers, referring to popular circus and stage shows.

CHIEN JOUANT À LA BALLE (Alice Guy) FR 1905 Short number featuring a dog playing with a ball in a scenography reminiscent of a circus arena. The film focuses on the movement of the animal and the attractiveness of the show itself.

CHAPELLERIE ET CHARCUTERIE MÉCANIQUES (Alice Guy) FR 1900 Fantastic machine makes sausages and then throws away hats. The film uses absurd idea and cinematic magic to create a comical picture of the mechanization of everyday life.

CHEZ LE PHOTOGRAPHE (Alice Guy) FR 1900 A whimsical customer comes to a photo shop to take a portrait of himself. An ordinary visit becomes a source of comic situations and observations of human behavior.

GOOD EVENING

(Alice Guy) FR 1910

A short, anonymous video made using template coloring technique. It ends with the greeting of the multicolored fairy, constituting a symbolic closing of the entire program.

Screening as part of the 27th Silent Film Festival.