When the Lumière brothers launched the film adventure at the end of the 19th century, did they imagine that the mine and the miners would play a leading role? In 1905, Ferdinand Zecca shot Au pays noir and inaugurated the long saga from the mine to the cinema. The abundance of mining films shows the interest of the directors but also that of the public to discover a world to which they have no access: the bowels of the earth. Through different genres such as comedy, documentary, drama, or animation, cinema puts the spotlight on the history of those who face danger every day to extract coal from the basement. Émile Zola had made Lantier and the characters of Germinal the heroes of his novel and the three film adaptations of Capellani (1913), Allégret (1963) and Berri (1993) offer them a face and give them life. Whether it is the setting, the main subject or a pretext for a story, the mine has marked the world of cinema throughout the 20th century and still inspires it today. Filmmakers from all continents inscribe in their scenarios his universe and among them companies appear in the credits. Through advertisements, short films and corporate films, Houillères uses cinema to showcase their know-how and production. With the exhibition "La mine fait son cinéma", the Mining Historical Centre unrolls the red carpet on this subject and offers an overview of the links between the mine and the cinema.
From June 25, 2022 to May 29, 2023.