‘Lumière, le Cinéma!’ From Thierry Frémaux

Near the beginning of the documentary, Frémaux explains that “with several Lumière films, we are going to make one Lumière film.” That’s a bit of an understatement: The movie stitches together 100 films shot by the brothers and, later, their collaborators, all carefully restored. We see not just the techniques the brothers developed but a vibrant portrait of life at the turn of the 20th century, from rural countryside labors to bustling Parisian cityscapes to scenes from across Asia. There are images of soldiers marching and soldiers goofing around, of carpenters and athletes and babies. Some of the footage is well known, and some has never been seen before (including an astonishing 75-millimeter sequence that could not even be projected when it was shot in 1900). It’s funny and beautiful and lively.