Barcelona Park at Twilight

A camera is stationed on a boat while the boat is moving, therefore capturing the surroundings of Barcelona Park. I've seen several movies like this that have the camera on a train or a boat, (check out "Panorama du Grand Canal pris d'un bateau") so this is another film in the genre. Filmed by Segundo de Chomón, who was later a rival of Georges Melies, the footage here is tinted a light blue apparently because the film is supposed to take place at twilight (though it looked like daytime, actually). Watching it nowadays, this short comes off as dull and uninteresting to most people, and in the end it will mainly interest film buffs and historians. As for me, I like it for what it is--a glance into history. And if you've never been to Barcelona and are interested in the city--this should give you a basic idea of how it's like. On a side note, director Segundo de Chomón made quite a few documentaries about cities in Spain--most more elaborate than this and with more than one shot.

Segundo de Chomón made several short films about his native Catalonia--including several about Barcelona or set in Barcelona. "Barcelona Park at Twilight" is one of these and is a somewhat dull film. It has no action--just a camera that is on a boat in the park and it films the area. HOWEVER, there's more to the film than this. First, most films in 1904 had a completely immobile camera--but this one pans about the park. Second, it's on a boat--and this was a very recent innovation--perhaps by the director himself. So, while the material might not amaze, how he got it will if you are a film historian or film nut like myself!

By the way, a year after he made this, his employers brought him to Paris and most of the rest of his output from then on was made in France, though he later returned to Catalonia to make at least a film or two.

Also, if you ever get a chance, go to Barcelona--it's a magnificent city to visit and is one of my favorites.