Beyond the Bolex
As a filmmaker, I’ve always had a personal connection to the Bolex camera. I bought one when I was still in high school, after having saved money for almost two years. It was a magical object in my hands, and I captured so much of the lives of my family with that 16mm Bolex. I also made films with my friends from high school. I still have that camera, and use it whenever I need to shoot film, which I continue to do, even in the digital age. I never knew much about the camera except technical details. But now, the whole story of how this camera came into being is told in a wonderful new documentary film, BEYOND THE BOLEX. It will be screening in the San Francisco Bay Area twice during the upcoming San Francisco Jewish Film Festival. I’ve seen the film, and I urge anyone who loves filmmaking, cameras and personal histories to see the film. ~ Ron Merk, Filmmaker
The Bolex camera has been a trusty tool for filmmakers since its introduction in the 1920s. In this personal film, Alyssa Bolsey delves into her family’s history to uncover the story of the camera’s inventor, her great-grandfather, Jacques Bolsey. A Russian refugee living in neutral Switzerland during WWI, Bolsey developed the iconic Bolex as a way to democratize image-making.
Archival footage and interviews with renowned filmmakers who still swear by Bolsey’s invention offer an ode to the man and his movie camera.
Alyssa Bolsey (Director): Alyssa Bolsey was a film student herself, but here was a family legacy she had never been privy to: the “Bol” in Bolex belonged to Jacques Bolsey. Her great-grandfather was the inventor of one of the most beloved and widely used pieces of technology in all of film history. Ms. Bolsey will be appear at the screenings to present the film.
Albany Twin, Friday, July 26, 1:40pm
Castro Theatre, Saturday, July 27, 12:55pm
Tickets now on sale at https://jfi.org/sfjff-2019/film-guide/beyond-the-bolex
The Metro Theatre Center Foundation supports a wide range of arts and social issues through its grants and support programs. This includes a wide range of the arts, including filmmaking, theatre, individual grants to artists working on personal projects, as well as social issues such as endangered homeless youth and low-income seniors.
It is with great pride that The Metro Theatre Center Foundation continues its commitment to the principle that the diverse voices of all people must be heard in film, television, literature and all forms of media. All of us have stories to tell, stories that have meaning to others, stories that will bring both enlightenment and hope to all who see, hear or experience those stories.
