The first successful balloon ascent was attempted by Pilastre de Rozier on 5 June 1783. This first feat was to be followed by many others, always dangerous, sometimes unfortunate, and which were repeated until the appearance of the aeroplane, which put an end to the career of the “lighter than air”.
Original title : La Conquête du Froid For thousands of years, hostile to man and beast alike, the cold was nothing more than a natural scourge linked to the eternal return of winter. In the course of the last century, the liquefaction of certain gases made it possible to produce artificial cold, the useful and … Continued
Original title : Chevaux de neige Once a year, during the winter season, horse races are held on the snow in Saint-Moritz. The meeting day includes different types of races: jumping and flat races, harness trotting races and a special discipline: harness skiing races.
Original title : Colomb Béchar, porte du ciel Although the name Colomb Béchar conjures up images of a sun-drenched city in the sands, anyone visiting for the first time is immediately caught by the fresh spell of this oasis, whose contrast with the nearby desert seems so immense that it perpetually renews the idea of … Continued
Original title : Chamrousse, l’essor d’une station Film in colour, screener in B/W It was at the end of the southern Belledonne mountain range, at an altitude of 1,650 m, that the Recoin resort of Chamrousse began to be developed in 1948. Given the success of Le Recoin and the constant increase in the number … Continued
Original title : Châteaux au Pays de Loire The Loire Valley brings together the provinces of Berry, Orléans, Anjou and Maine. The river and its tributaries, the Vienne, the Loir, the Creuse and the Mayenne, offer a rich sampling of delightful landscapes. The Loire Valley boasts many famous writers: Rabelais, Ronsard, Du Bellay, Balzac. It … Continued
Original title : Châteaux et Rivières This is the land of rivers. They give the provinces they unite the same luminous, peaceful face. These provinces are La Marche, Limousin, Quercy and Périgord. The film takes us on an itinerary through them, an unusual itinerary in that it unfolds not in space, but in time. Time … Continued
Original title : Le Chemin de fer métropolitain de Paris There are two versions of this film. The first dates from 1934 and lasts 15′. The second is from 1948 and lasts 13′. It’s a reduced version with a reworked commentary and different music. “The metro was born in 1900 with the Universal Exhibition, thus … Continued
Original title : Les Belles Vacances Two young men, budding mountaineers, without listening to their parents’ advice to be careful, or that of an instructor on the train taking them to Chamonix, set off to climb in the Alps. Although they didn’t have a lot of experience, they were confident enough for their age, and … Continued
Original title : Bjorn et Yfaut, chiens polaires In 1949, the ship “Commandant Charcot” had on board, in addition to the members of the French Antarctic Expedition, thirty Eskimo dogs who shared the life of the men for three years in Terre Adélie. These dogs were more than just companions for the explorers, as their … Continued