Leaving Jerusalem by Railway

1897 Documentary 50 seconds Directed by Alexandre Promio

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About Leaving Jerusalem by Railway

A train pulls out of Jerusalem. People on the platform say goodbye. The view, about fifty seconds, shows Europeans first, then Palestinian Arabs, then Palestinian Jews. Alexandre Promio filmed it for the Lumière brothers. The French title is Départ de Jérusalem en chemin de fer.

Cast & crew

More about Leaving Jerusalem by Railway

Promio directed and photographed the actuality. Louis Lumière is the producer on Wikidata. Auguste and Louis Lumière are the distributors. English Wikipedia times it at about 50 seconds. Wikidata lists 1 minute.

Themes

Background

The Jerusalem railway was new in the 1890s. Promio's shot records who was on the platform in 1897.

Making

Promio was on a Lumière traveling shoot. The film is one shot of a departure, long enough to sort the crowd as the carriages move.

Look

Promio set the camera on the platform and let the train and the three groups of people pass through one take.

Notes

  • The camera stays with the people left on the platform as the train leaves.
  • The order of the goodbyes is part of the description used by English Wikipedia: Europeans, then Palestinian Arabs, then Palestinian Jews.
  • No actors are billed. The people are travelers and the people seeing them off.
  • It is a Lumière actuality, not a staged farewell.

Scenes

  • The train starts, and the platform waves it off, Europeans first, then Palestinian Arabs, then Palestinian Jews.

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