Name: L'enfant de la Ciotat
Genre: Short
Duration: 17 min
Rating: 6.5
Cast: Thomas Dalle, Paul Borne, Valérie Jeannet

A great and bittersweet tribute to the art of films

Of the many 1995 films made to celebrate the 100th anniversary of cinema invention, this one and the gathering of shorts "Lumière and Company" were the ones that got closer to the considered first film ever made. While the other project created short films using the actual cameras owned by the French filmmakers in their pioneering experiments, "The Boy from La Ciotat" goes back to the actual location of the first cinema film "Arrival of a Train at La Ciotat", and it also revolves on trains.

In it, the art and beauty of movies are expressed through the old camera of Antoine (Thomas Dalle), a boy who loves filming the trains that pass by his window. He lives with his father (Paul Borne) in the coastal town of Ciotat, and the only thing that fascinates the boy are his own films. After an incident during one of his filmings, he's forbidden to use his camera and what's left for him to do are the acts of a curious kid, discovering memories of his deceased mother through objects in the house. But a great surprise revolving the films will come his way.

A very special short film that acknowledges the power of movies as memories, time fragments, special and nostalgic experiences that are registered and preserved to posterity, and the connection viewers and filmmakers have with the art form. To Antoine it's something remarkably deep as he films, watches and wants to become part of the experience, as if entering into the reality captured on celluloid, his vision and his ideal. The revelation that comes with all of that are amazingly beautiful, but also haunting. Comes with a downer but unexpected conclusion.

I was greatly impressed by the quality of the film, the cinematography use (black-and-white reality vs the colorful documentaries of Antoine) and the acting from the cast. It's a simple story that moves beyond limits, with many emotions on the surface. It's the kind of film that makes you remember why you fell in love with the movies, it takes you back to the basics of what movies were intended to be: to transport you to whatever is on the screen, and you embrace what's there, dreaming of being in another time and place, and distant from your reality for a few hours. 9/10.

French-language cinema, whether in France, Québec, or other Francophone regions, explores cultural identity, social change, and the tension between the individual and society. French cinema is not only celebrated for its intellectual experimentation and auteur traditions, but also its success in mainstream comedy, romance, and commercial entertainment. In Québec, films often focus on questions of language, belonging, and community within a distinct cultural landscape.

Jean-Pierre Léaud in The 400 Blows (1959)

The short form refers to creative works characterized by their brevity and concise storytelling. Unlike full-length feature films, short films have a running time of less than 45 minutes, while TV shorts have a running time of less than 22 minutes.

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Thomas Dalle in L'enfant de la Ciotat (1995)

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Thomas Dalle and Paul Borne in L'enfant de la Ciotat (1995)

Valérie Jeannet and Paul Borne in L'enfant de la Ciotat (1995)

Valérie Jeannet in L'enfant de la Ciotat (1995)

Paul Borne in L'enfant de la Ciotat (1995)

L'enfant de la Ciotat

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