Alyssa Bolsey, the creator of this film, found a hidden treasure in her family’s attic: documents, film reels, cameras, and diaries belonging to her great-grandfather Jacques Bolsey. Bolsey, a Russian Jewish émigré, invented the Bolex, the first handheld motion-picture camera. After discovering this treasure trove, Alyssa, herself a young filmmaker, stopped what she was working on and devoted herself to follow in Jacques’ footsteps.
Born to an intellectual Jewish family in Russia at the end of the 19th century, Jacques wanted to study medicine — which, as a Jew, he could not — so he immigrated to Geneva, where he ultimately invented the Bolex. Using his diaries, film reels, photographs, and interviews with family members and film historians, Alyssa Bolsey re-creates the fascinating life of a man whose creative journey intertwined with the tumult of the 20th century.
Introduction: Alyssa Bolsey, The film Director
Official Selection MONTREAL ARTFIFA FILM FESTIVAL , DOC NYC Film festival
