Jean-Marc Chapoulie's Alchimicinéma: A Theory of Raw Cinema

Since 2001, Jean-Marc Chapoulie has been creating works under the title Alchimicinéma, which fuses lectures, performances, projections, and installations. A newly released book from Les Presses du réel compiles elements of his approach, offering a fresh perspective on cinema through technical, social, and historical viewpoints. Chapoulie champions 'unexperienced cinema'—including amateur films, family videos, corporate productions, and newsreels—contrasting it with experimental cinema. He perceives conventional cinema as an overlooked archive of genuine experimentation. His influences include various artists and professionals, suggesting a counter-narrative to cinema's history that highlights lesser-known figures alongside the Lumière brothers and filmmakers like Jean Nolle. Emphasizing 'monsters, chimeras, bastards,' he utilizes 'brocante' methods, film cut-ups, and automated montages. Alchimicinéma represents a film without conclusion.