Lumière & Company

Fourty intriguing films from the world's leading directors

A celebratory anthology of 40 short films made by world-class directors using 1895 technology, blending homage to cinema's origins with contemporary artistic vision.

40 international directors were asked to make a short film using the original Cinematographe invented by the Lumière Brothers, working under conditions similar to those of 1895. There were three rules: (1) The film could be no longer than 52 seconds, (2) no synchronized sound was permitted, and (3) no more than three takes.