EVENT 1: Be Natural: The Untold Story of Alice Guy-Blaché Screening and Conversation

     I recently participated in the showing of Be Natural: The Untold Story of Alice Guy-Blaché. I found the whole approach on presenting the movie to be quite revolutionary. Director Pamela Green showcases both the history and the process in reconnecting family members, as well as finding family possessions to better understand Alice Guy-Blaché. 

 Nguyen, Michelle. Screenshot from Slipstream's Screening of Be Natural: The Untold Story of Alice Guy-Blaché, 6 April 2022. Author's Personal Collection.


    Alice Guy-Blache was one of the most influential movie creators in the history of cinema, yet her name mains unknown in most modern filmmakers. She was one of the first founders of cinema, thinking of stories and actions ahead of her time (Paranick). From short films such as Cabbage Fairy (1896), to scenes that are replicated in today's works, Guy was able to understand and display cinema in a way that give the film industry an everlasting phenomenon (Home). 

 

Nguyen, Michelle. Screenshot from Slipstream's Screening of Be Natural: The Untold Story of Alice Guy-Blaché, Conversation with Director Green, 6 April 2022. Author's Personal Collection.

    Director Pamela Green reflects back on her experience tracing the descendants of Alice, which were shown in increments throughout. From the youngest descendants to Alice's daughter, Green showcased the side that most of history left out (Be Natural: ... -Blaché). The film cuts into clips of Alice's films, with clips of the family describing her afterward, followed by belongings that were believed to be Alice's. This style of filmmaking allowed viewers to engage in the story, uncovering more at each encounter of family member that Green meets. Alice outshone her competitions, was barely present for her children, founded Solax, went from producing one film to three daily, won awards, and so much more. 

Alice and Her Children. https://aliceguyblache.com/sites/default/files/image_series/Alice%20and%20her%20children.jpg. Accessed 8 Apr. 2022
 

    Alice and the production team, Gaumont, eventually expanded into filming buildings that were suitable this pre-Hollywood era (McMahan). I found this part of history interesting, as the buildings, shown in the image below, were calculated and built in a way to maximize  efficiency. This alone further signifies that importance of arts and mathematics, a concept learned during this week's lecture (UC Online). 

 Nguyen, Michelle. Screenshot from Slipstream's Screening of Be Natural: The Untold Story of Alice Guy-Blaché, 7 April 2022. Author's Personal Collection.

Alice's impact on film-making is revolutionary, but also a surprise with very few knowing about the pioneer filmmaker. Yet, her impacts are long lasting, being the first to incorporate stories, emotions, and personality into film, making the film industry as successful as they are today. 


 
Ben Model - silent film accompanist/historian. “Falling Leaves” (1912) Silent Film Dir by Alice Guy Blaché -
 Piano Score by Ben Model. 2011. YouTube, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-_cYhqVblLc  


Sources:

Alice and Her Children. https://aliceguyblache.com/sites/default/files/image_series/Alice%20and%20her%20children.jpg. Accessed 8 Apr. 2022.


Be Natural: The Untold Story of Alice Guy-Blaché. Directed by Pamela B. Green, Kickstarter, 2018.


Home | Alice Guy Blaché. https://aliceguyblache.com/. Accessed 8 Apr. 2022.


McMahan, Alison. "Alice Guy Blaché." In Jane Gaines, Radha Vatsal, and Monica Dall’Asta, eds. Women Film Pioneers Project. New York, NY: Columbia University Libraries, 2013.  <https://doi.org/10.7916/d8-5a4c-yq24>


Paranick, Amber. Alice Guy-Blaché: Cinema’s First Woman Director in Newspapers | Headlines and Heroes. 26 Jan. 2022, //blogs.loc.gov/headlinesandheroes/2022/01/alice-guy-blache/.


UC Online. Mathematics-Pt1-ZeroPerspectiveGoldenMean.Mov. 2012. YouTube, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mMmq5B1LKDg.


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