Między wyjściem z kościoła a wyjściem z fabryki. Wokół sporu o pierwszy film hiszpański
Between Leaving the Church and Leaving the Factory: The Dispute Over the First Spanish Film

Summary/Abstract: The article presents the dispute over the first Spanish film, which has been ongoing since the 1990s. The film history analysis is set in the socio-political context of Franco’s dictatorship when research into the origins of cinema developed in Spain. Although the starting point is an attempt to determine the identity of the oldest film, the reasons for claiming the primacy of one work over another seem just as interesting as the investigation into the release dates of individual titles. This topic has not yet been discussed in Polish film studies and has appeared only marginally in other research outside of Spain. A critical analysis of the findings of Spanish scholars – often contradictory or inconsistent – is accompanied by the results of research in Spanish film libraries, libraries and archives. Such extensive research allows for the organisation of data related to the dating of early works and the identification of inconsistencies in source materials; at the same time it contributes to more general reflection on the issue of film nationality and the need for a new perspective on the history of cinema.

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