An Art, An Industry

From February 13 to May 1, 2001 – Museu del Cinema

The Century of Film IV

2001 is no expiry date for the cinema. Quite the contrary, its future seems assured: it awakens creative vocations and discovers new spectators every day; its cultural recognition is beyond doubt and it continues to be a major industry in many countries, including the USA, India or France.
Its solidity is probably due to two often contrasting characteristics: the cinema is art and an industry. It is a peculiar industry, because it always manufactures prototypes. It is an art that has earned its central position unaided: one cannot speak of contemporary narrative or iconography without taking into account the fundamental contributions of films. It is this controversial, conflictive, and at the same time fruitful relationship that this exhibition is about, with special emphasis on the directors, the producers and the films that have contributed most to its visual significance.