The Mother of Cinematography

Alice Guy Blache is virtually unknown despite her ground-breaking contributions to the early development of cinema. When Zevi Wolmark first read about Alice he was too unaware of her contribution. But as he continued to explore he discovered more fascinating details about the life and work of this amazing figure. The first female screenwriter, producer and director, Alice Guy Blache invented many new techniques in cinematography. This almost unknown woman in cinema inaugurated the narrative (which is usually attributed to Griffith) as a way of creating a positive image in the society by infiltrating moral messages in the story line. Apart from her huge contribution to the early development of cinema and her Influence on the work of her more famous contemporaries (Melies, Griffith and the Lumiere brothers), today Alice Guy Blache remains virtually unknown. She was born in 1873 in France, and spent most of her career, connected to film making in the United States (from 1907 to 1922).

For Wolmark, Alice is one of the most important figures in cinematography in general. In 1895, when she was 22 years old, Alice began working as a secretary for the director Comptoir du Photographie. That same year, the Lumiere brothers together with Comptoir presented their new invention a feature film at a Paris bar. Alice Guy attended this presentation together with her boss, and during the screening she got inspired to try something new with the help of the promising technology. She began by producing short films, promising Gaumont that her new "hobby" will not interfere with her secretary duties. She built a small studio in her garden and with the help of two co-workers and several friends, she made her first film La Fee aux Choux. The story is based on a French fairy tale about two young people who find a baby that was hidden by the fairies under large cabbage leaves, while they were wandering in the field. The huge success of the first attempt encouraged her to continue and produce more films, which led to Gaumont giving her his blessing. Soon she began to produce attractive demonstration movies for sale Gaumont equipment. These are actually the first film adds, explains Zevi.