Photo : Raconte-moi la pellicule : © Thomas Lang
Workshop: Tell Me About Film
Step back in time to discover how movies truly came to life before the digital era took over. Kids get hands-on with vintage cameras and projectors while you all enjoy the rare charm of silent films set to live improvised piano music. It is the perfect opportunity to share a cinematic treasure hunt that fascinates both children and grown-ups.
Fondation Jérôme Seydoux-Pathé (Paris 13th)
About
Discover the fascinating world of vintage cinema at the Fondation Jérôme Seydoux-Pathé with the Raconte-moi la pellicule workshop. Designed for children aged 8 and up accompanied by their families, this event explores the history and mechanics of film strips, a medium now disappearing from projection booths. Attendees will handle authentic Pathé-Baby cameras and projectors before enjoying a live-scored screening of silent films. This activity is fully wheelchair accessible and requires advance booking. Sessions take place on select Saturdays at 10:00, offering a unique opportunity to understand how early cinema technology brought moving pictures into homes.
For images to come to life on a screen, this flexible, transparent strip followed a precise path, from its manufacture to being loaded into projectors. Soon, film will have completely disappeared from projection booths. Keeping its history in memory helps us understand the origins of cinema.
The workshop invites children to discover the medium of "film." After a bit of history, they will play the role of budding filmmakers by handling Pathé-Baby cameras and projectors, whose simplicity brought cinema into living rooms at the beginning of the 20th century, long before television. The workshop ends with a short screening of silent films with live piano accompaniment.
All sessions are accompanied by pianists from Jean-François Zygel's improvisation class (Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique et de Danse de Paris).
The workshops are designed for families. Parents accompany and participate in the workshops. From age 8 - Duration: 1h30/1h45
When purchasing tickets, a ticket must be purchased for each member of the group.
- Dates:
- Saturday, October 17 at 10:30 am
- Saturday, December 5 at 10:30 am
- Saturday, January 23 at 10:30 am
Our take on this event
From October 3, 2026, to January 30, 2027, the Fondation Jérôme Seydoux-Pathé hosts an immersive workshop lasting between 1 hour 30 minutes and 1 hour 45 minutes. Participants learn about the evolution of cinema through the tangible history of film strips. Children get hands-on experience with historic Pathé-Baby equipment, learning how these simple devices made cinema accessible long before the advent of television.
The workshop concludes with a silent film screening, accompanied by live piano improvisation provided by students from Jean-François Zygel’s class at the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique et de Danse de Paris. Parents are encouraged to participate alongside their children in this shared historical journey.
Tickets are priced at 8 € per person. Family packages are available at 28 € for 4 people or 32 € for 5 people (with a maximum of 2 adults per package). Any additional entry beyond 5 people costs 4 €. Advance booking is essential for every member of the group. Upcoming session dates include October 17, December 5, and January 23, all starting at 10:00.
