Passion for Films: Henri Langlois and the Cinematheque Francaise

When Henri Langlois began collecting prints of films in the 1920s, most people - even many in the film industry - thought of movies as a cheap and disposable form of entertainment. Langlois recognized them as a priceless form of art and worthy of preservation. In 1935, he founded the Cinematheque Francaise, the legendary film library and screening room in Paris which Jean Renoir described as "the church for movies" and Bernardo Bertolucci called "the best school of cinema in the world". This is an analysis of Henri Langlois, his passion for films, and his contribution to film history.