New York: Brooklyn Bridge

synopsis

A four-car tram approaches from the Brooklyn Bridge and turns left. In the foreground, a train heading towards the bridge crosses its path, followed by a locomotive travelling backwards. The intersection of multiple tracks and directions transforms the traffic of the modern city into a precisely choreographed spectacle of movement.

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