La Jette is a french science fiction film directed by Chris Marker. Released in 1962, its known for the unique storytelling technique and narrative. the film is composed almost entirely of black and white still images, often also using motion footage.

Set in a post-apocalyptic Paris, it follows the story of a man who is chosen for a time travel experiment. the protagonist, haunted by a childhood memory of witnessing a traumatic event at an airport, is sent back in time to gather information for a survival of humanity. Throughout the film, the man encounters a woman from his memory, forming a deep connection with her. As he continues his time-travel journeys, he becomes torn between his duty to the experiment and his desire to be with the woman.

La Jette mainly explored the themes of memory,time and human existence. raising philosophical questions about the nature of existence and the consequences that come with messing with time. whats is important to take in about this film is the innovative use of still images and its non-linear narrative structure. this makes a significant contribution to the science fiction genre.

With it’s thought provoking story line and unique visual style la Jetee has gained critical acclaim and continues to be regarded as a seminal work in the realm of experimental cinema.

What I have learned about cinematography after watching this film is how simplistic creating a film could be. there are many factors that make a good film, like the sound, actors, storyline and presentation. but what I’ve have learnt that a story can be told in many different ways even through still images and a good narrative.

Chris Marker was a French writer, photographer, documentary film director, multimedia artist and film essayist. His best known films are La Jetée, A Grin Without a Cat and Sans Soleil. He is known for challenging moviegoers, philosophers, and even himself for years with his complex ideas about time, memory, and the rapid advancement of life on this planet.

Marker’s La Jetée is considered one of the most influential, radical science-fiction films ever made, due to its use of the language of cinema to construct its narrative effect. The short film is composed of still images showing photographs of Paris from all angles and viewpoints. This includes underground caverns of future Paris, to the intensely detailed views across the ruined city, and the juxtaposition of destroyed buildings with the spire of the Eiffel Tower.

His film La Jetée (1962) is described as ‘A look at the past, present, future and the after effects of the World War III, tracing the life of a man, a slave who travels in time to find a solution to the world’s destiny’ and is a French science fiction associated with the Left Bank artistic movement. Constructed almost entirely from monochrome still photos, it tells the story of a post-nuclear war experiment in time travel.

Link to short film:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2MNkd0PXNJc

Who is Chris Marker?

Chris Marker (Christian François Bouche-Villeneuve) was born in 1921 at Neuilly sur Seine, France, and died in 2012 and was a French filmmaker, poet, novelist, photographer, editor and multi-media artist who has been challenging moviegoers, philosophers, and himself for years with his complex queries about time, memory, and the rapid advancement of life on this planet. He fought for the French resistance during World War II and enlisted as a Paratrooper in the United States Air Force. In the 1950s Marker wrote for l’Esprit and Cahiers du cinéma and was an assistant to Alain Resnais. His work was been presented internationally. Marker was the subject of a film retrospective at The Museum of Modern Art, New York, and was a featured artist of the exhibition Passage de l’image at the Centre Georges Pompidou, Paris, and Documenta X, Kassel, Germany. In 2018 he had a screening at Cannes Film Festival, won the International Critics Prize, and had a major retrospective in Paris. Marker’s La Jetée is one of the most influential, radical science-fiction films ever made, a tale of time travel.

What is the story behind La Jetee?

La Jetee is about a man that is sent back and forth, in and out of time in an experiment that attempts to unravel the fate and the solution to the problems of a post-apocalyptic world during the aftermath of WW3. The experiment results in him getting caught up in a never ending memories of past events which are recreated on an airport’s viewing pier. What makes the film interesting for the purposes of this discussion, is that while in editing terms it uses the language of cinema to construct its narrative effect, it is composed entirely of still images showing images from the featureless dark of the underground caverns of future Paris, to the intensely detailed views across the ruined city, and the juxtaposition of destroyed buildings with the spire of the Eiffel Tower.

Who is Chris Marker?

Chris Marker was a renowned French filmmaker, writer, and multimedia artist. He is known for his innovative and thought-provoking works, which often explored themes of memory, time, and political and social commentary. Marker’s films, such as “La Jetée” and “Sans Soleil,” pushed the boundaries of traditional filmmaking and incorporated elements of documentary, fiction, and experimental techniques. His use of voiceover narration, montage, and found footage created a unique cinematic language that captivated audiences. Marker’s contributions to the art world continue to inspire and challenge audiences to question the nature of reality and the power of images.  Chris Marker is seen as influential due to his ground-breaking approach to filmmaking and his ability to explore complex themes in a thought-provoking manner. His innovative use of storytelling techniques, such as blending documentary and fiction, and his exploration of memory and time have had a profound impact on the art of filmmaking. Marker’s works have inspired and influenced countless filmmakers, artists, and scholars, shaping the way we think about and engage with cinema as a powerful medium for social and political commentary. 

La Jetée

“La Jetée” is a renowned short film directed by Chris Marker. Released in 1962, it is composed almost entirely of still photographs, which creates a unique and mesmerizing visual style. Through its haunting imagery and poetic narration, “La Jetée” explores themes of memory, love, and the fragility of human existence. It has had a profound influence on experimental filmmaking and remains a captivating and thought-provoking cinematic experience. It tells of a post-nuclear was experiment in time travel by using a series of filmed photographs developed as a photomontage of varying pace, with limited narration and sound effects. In the film, a survivor of a futuristic third World War is obsessed with distant and disconnected memories of a pier at the Orly Airport, the image of a mysterious woman, and a man’s death. Scientists experimenting in time travel choose him for their studies, and the man travels back in time to contact the mysterious woman, and discovers that the man’s death at the Orly Airport was his own. Except for one shot of the woman mentioned above sleeping and suddenly waking up, the film is composed entirely of photographs by Jean Chiabaud and stars Davos Hanich as the man, Hélène Châtelain as the woman and filmmaker William Klein as a man from the future.

The visual elements I will focus on is the aesthetics and eye pleasing aspects of the castle, as well as setting the mood, including the scenery around it, like the beach and sea. There might be some shots that are done in the studio like close ups of portraits.

I collected a brief views/things I will look for to add in the overall film.

I have researched a couple short movies and the ones that stood out to me the most were the ones that I have included bellow.

All the movi3es combined have a certain vibe, this being calmness, everything moving in a slow speed, showing life through a relaxed view. Capturing the beauty of the surrounding in a calm manner. This is what I will inspire to achieve with Elizabeth castle.

Constructed on a rocky islet 422 years ago, the castle aided to protect Jersey during conflicts such as the English civil war in the 17th century. The castle was named by the governor of Jersey at the time, Sir Walter Raleigh, “Fort Isabella Bellissima” (the most beautiful Elizabeth), after Elizabeth I. Today, the castle is overseen by the Jersey Heritage Trust as a museum site, the trust take part in regular shows which give an insight to visitors as to what the castle was like when it was used as a military base, musket and cannon firing are only some of these popular displays.

Reaching the castle is easy for visitors as there is a regular ferry service run by the Jersey Heritage Trust. Or for those more willing for a walk, at low tide a walkway is revealed, however it is advised that those walking research the tides as it is not uncommon for visitors to get stranded on the islet as the tide surrounds it very quickly. Visitors can tour the 24 acre islet and explore Georgian buildings that gave retreat to Prince Charles for 10 weeks during 1645 during the English Civil War. There are also more modern additions to the castle as the Germans occupied the Channel Islands in the 20th century and modernised the fortress with battlements, guns and bunkers. The history on the island spans for over 1400 years as it is believed Saint Helier lived in a small hermitage on the islet in 550 A.D. The Hermitage is still standing within the castle and can be visited by those interested.

Life in the castle throughout its years were difficult at times during the 17th century, eight soldiers would stay in one room, often sharing beds, eating a breakfast of thin salty porridge called gruel. Wages were low at only 2 pence per day (for reference, a loaf of bread would typically cost 1 penny), soldiers may use this money for extra food or other goods. Conditions were dirty as soap would cost a soldier 14 pence so infections were common in such cramped spaces. If an infection spread, the castles surgeon would usually cut off the infected limb or use leeches to suck out any infected blood. Soldiers were busy and constantly preparing for an invasion, routinely working in groups of eight to fire cannons that could reach 1300 meters at a rate of twice per minute. This regular exposer to loud sounds left many soldiers with little to no hearing, and frequent use of gunpowder could leave soldiers with weak lungs and kidneys or a respiratory disease.

Completing this research and reading many visitors reviews I understand the most popular attractions to the castle, therefore I can work towards incorporating these aspects in my shoot as well as focusing on the post war attraction theme to help draw in tourists.

What is a zine?

A zine is a small self-publication containing a mix of text, images and creative elements. They are usually the tool of photographers or artists who want to distribute their work through the medium of visual storytelling and put across their exact intentions in terms of how they want their work to be viewed.

Here are some of the popular zines of 2021, as curated by Adobe.