Opening The Nineteenth Century: 1896
(1990, 16 mm with Pulfrich filters, 9 min)
Film is symmetrical and can be shown from either end. Cinematographers: Eugene Promio, Felix Mesgusch, Francis Doublier.
Cinematheque Francaise places originals, perhaps exposures from cameras in motion, to 1896. Shafting the screen: the
projector beam maintains its angle as it meets the screen and keeps on going, introducing volume as well as light, just
as the Paris, Cairo, and Venice of a century ago happen to pass. 3-D Instructions To Viewer: Passing through the tunnel
mid-film, a red flash will signal you to switch your single Pulfrich filter from before your right eye to before your
left (keep both eyes open). Center-seating is best: depth deepens viewing further from the screen. Handle filter by
edges to preserve clarity – Either side of filter may face screen. Filter can be held at any angle, there’s no “up” or
“down” side. Also, two filters before an eye does not work better than one, and a filter in front of each only negates
the effect. KEN JACOBS