A Trick of Light
Dir: Wim Wenders
1995
*****
A trick of light is part documentary and part reenactment, although in Wim Wenders' film, the two cross paths and interact with one another, instantly making this quite the unique experiment. It focuses on the Skladanowsky brothers, with the brilliant Udo Kier playing Max Skladanowsky and then switches to a true life interview with Max Skladanowsky's real daughter, 91 your old Lucie who still remembers even the smallest details of the birth of the moving picture, thanks to her father and two uncles. It's full of anecdotes and factual references to other film pioneers of the time that occasionally jump into the present day interview in the cheeky style the brothers were famous for. It's a little self congratulatory with a 19 minute credit reel but it's forgivable considering that this film almost feels like a gift to film fans and those interested in the history of cinema. It's outstanding and a real treat.