A Century on Film S02E01 - The 20th Century Dawns

The 20th century was the first to be preserved in moving images. Drawing on new and rare footage from archives around the world, A Century on Film is a vivid portrait of humanity in the 20th century. In 1895, an audience of 30 watches Louis Lumiere's "Exiting the Factory" in a screening of short films at a Paris cafe. This short film was the first commercial film screening. A camera captures men dueling with sabers on the back streets of Paris. This episode traces the dawn of the film era from Queen Victoria's funeral and the end of China's Qing dynasty.