The Ciné-Tracts [1968] project was undertaken by a number of French directors as a means of taking direct revolutionary action during and after the events of May 1968. Contributions were made by Godard, Chris Marker, Alain Resnais and others during this period. Each of the Ciné-Tracts consists of 100 feet of 16mm black and white silent film shot at 24 FPS, equalling a projection-time of 2 minutes and 50 seconds. The films were made available for purchase at the production cost, which at the time was fifty francs.
As part of the prescription for the making of the films, the director was to self-produce, self-edit, be the cinematographer, ensuring that each film was shot in one day. Godard had undergone a series of encounters on the barricades during the ‘Langlois Affair’ in February of 1968, and during May was seen actively involved in labour marches, photographing the riots in the Latin Quarter. He also took time to shoot some material at the University of Paris campus at Nanterre.
Source: Cinétracts
Les cinétracts (ou “ciné-tracts”) sont des mini-films non signés, réalisés en mai et juin 1968, dans le sillage des évènements de Mai, ainsi que dans les années suivantes, de manière irrégulière. Ces courts-métrages militants, tournés généralement en 8 mm, ont souvent été diffusés hors du circuit commercial. Il semble donc difficile d’en établir un catalogue exhaustif. Jean-Luc Godard (qui a livré le premier numéro), Chris Marker et Alain Resnais en ont notamment réalisé plusieurs. Selon Godard dans la Tribune socialiste du 23 janvier 1969, les cinétracts sont le fruit d’une idée de Chris Marker.
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