Broadway and Union Square

synopsis

On Broadway near Union Square, pedestrians, carriages and public transport cross paths. No single figure remains the centre of attention for long; the main subject is the flow of traffic itself. Promio’s footage captures the metropolis as a network of intersecting routes, chance encounters and constant change.

biography

Alexandre Promio (1868–1926) was one of the Lumière company’s foremost cinematographers. From 1896 onwards, he travelled with the Cinématographe across Europe, Africa, the Middle East and the Americas. His films expanded early cinema’s horizons through travelogue perspectives, bustling urban scenes and a camera moving through space.

film details

director:

Alexandre Promio