“Each film is a story.”

Between Pathé and the Lumière film festival, there’s a long history. This year, Sophie and Jérôme Seydoux are the guests of honor of the MIFC! We took this opportunity to speak with Sophie Seydoux.

What is your role at the Jérôme Seydoux-Pathé Foundation, of which you are the President?
The Foundation is twenty years old, and my role is to inject new energy into the organization to further highlight Pathé’s heritage collection. This involves planning future projects, events and restorations, because the Foundation is by no means a museum. We are an organization focused on action. Our primary mission is to pass on our cultural heritage. Passing on this heritage is a concept that is of prime importance to me.

Must one preserve in order to pass on?

Preservation is an exceedingly important concept. Every film is a story, a reflection of society at the time it was made. And while some may no longer be “politically correct” or out of step with our world, whether because they’re considered sexist, for example, or because they address issues that are now considered taboo, doesn’t mean we should just abandon them. L’Occident(aka An Eye for an Eye) by Henri Fescourt (1927) is, aesthetically speaking, a magnificent black-and-white film, but in terms of its content, it is so steeped in racism and colonialism that it sends a chill down your spine! Should we just abandon it? On the contrary, we need to figure out how to incorporate it into film programs that explain the context and the how human perceptions have evolved.  The Three Masks by André Hugon (1929) is, technically speaking, a dreadful film; it falls far short of the ingenuity of the silent pictures of that period. But since it was the first talkie made in France, it is historically significant. So we’re restoring it.

There are also beautiful and high-quality films.

Absolutely. Forty-eight hours ago, I saw a seven-minute short film about Pompeii shot in 1912. It was incredible. It brings tears to your eyes. That’s history. That’s life. These are films shot by operators sent around the world to capture never-before-seen places and faces. Can you imagine what a revelation cinema was for the public?! It was impossible to go to these places, but you could travel by watching these early films.

 Who visits the Foundation?

Everyone! In fact, our audience is very diverse, ranging from film buffs to researchers to children. For researchers and film buffs, the Foundation is a treasure trove of legal, financial and cinematic history that dates to 1896. We are the only foundation in the world to house such a comprehensive collection of documents. Anyone who registers can have access to our archives, visit the Pathé Theater and explore the silent film catalog. Every year, we screen 600 international films in the only theater dedicated entirely to silent film. Each picture is screened with live musical accompaniment. We hold temporary exhibitions that complement our permanent exhibition, featuring Pathé’s collection of cameras, projectors and other devices invented since 1896. Through these preserved photographs, artifacts and documents, we are safeguarding these fragments of cinematic history. 

What about children and silent films?

Children are incredibly receptive to silent films. We offer a series of workshops designed specifically for them. During these sessions, they get hands-on experience with cameras, projectors and film. They learn how the accumulation of images creates movement. Our sound effects workshops for classes of twenty-five children aged four to six offer all kinds of objects for creating sound effects for forty-second films. The children are extremely proud when they succeed. 

Pathé is celebrating its 130th anniversary; how would you describe the company?

It is very difficult to sum up this company, given the wide variety of its productions. I’m  thinking of the spirit of Charles Pathé. What drove him was a constant quest for progress in the technical and artistic sense. Jérôme Seydoux carries on this tradition.

 Which restoration left a lasting impression on you?

Professionally speaking, Abel Gance’s The Wheel was a rare experience. On a personal level, since I’m passionate about Chamonix, Joseph Vallot’s The Ascent of Mont Blanc (1906, a twelve-minute film, stands out. When we found out we could restore it, it was truly marvelous. Finally, there are two films I always return to, and which energize me every time: René Clair’s Entr’acte and ParisAsleep. They’re joyful and surreal. Restoring Entr’acte brought us tremendous happiness.  

 

What does the Lumière film festival mean to you?
It’s a wonderful place for conversations and discovery. It’s a reunion of film enthusiasts and creates a fantastic space for sharing.

You and Jérôme Seydoux are guests of honor at the MIFC; it will be an opportunity to meet with the public and industry professionals. What are you anticipating from this event?

This is a great honor for us and a first (we’ve never been interviewed together before). I’m very happy to be sitting at the same table as Jérôme Seydoux. Both of us want to proclaim our unwavering love for cinema. 

Interview by Virginie Apiou