Cvičení s bodákem

synopsis

Soldiers repeatedly practise attacks and defensive movements with bayonets. Their precisely controlled gestures transform military training into a striking choreography of disciplined bodies. The camera preserves not only the individual stages of the exercise but also the image of the army as an organised force put on public display.

biography

Gabriel Veyre (1871–1936), a French pharmacist, photographer and cinematographer for the Lumière company, filmed in Mexico, the Caribbean, Japan, China and French Indochina. His films combine travelogue observation with staged scenes, while also revealing how early cinema shaped the European view of the world.

film details

director:

Gabriel Veyre