As Morski writes, the installation “Alexandre Promio in Šibenik again” was set up on the Sibenik waterfront – a replica of the first film camera, which, back at the very end of April 123 years ago, shot the oldest piece of film footage from this part of Europe.
The mind behind the Sibenik camera installation is Zoran Lucic Luca, and the presentation of the installation was attended by Mayor Zeljko Buric, his associates and the Director of the Tourist Board of the City of Sibenik, Dino Karadjole.
”123 years ago, people realised how beautiful this city is and how interesting its surroundings are. If there were no such people in Sibenik, such as Zoran Lucic Luca, they’d probably never know some of the stories from this city’s rich history,” stated Zeljko Buric as the new Sibenik camera was put in place.
In Croatian cinematography, records state that the oldest piece of film footage from the territory of Croatia and this part of Europe is a recording called “Sibenik Port” from 1904. That piece of film is the work of English cameraman Frank Mottershow. This was written in the history books, the Croatian Audio Visual Centre (HAVC) and the Croatian Cinematheque until 2005, when a professor from the Academy of Dramatic Arts (ADU) in Zagreb, prof. Enes Midzic quite by chance happened to find a strange title: “Salut dans les vergues de Alexandre Promio, Sibenik, 28th/29th April, 1898” somewhere on the Internet. Professor Midzic then went to the French capital of Paris to try to discover more and found seven such short films.
The films “Pozdrav s jarbola/Greetings from the foremast”, “Dolazak i sidrenje broda/The arrival and the anchoring of the ship”, “Priprema za boj/Preparation for battle”, “Regata (prolazak)/Regatta (passage),” and ”Regata (povratak)/Regatta (return)” were all shot in the port of Sibenik because they clearly show the recognisable landscape of Martinska and the Sibenik Bay, with the exception being the film “Priprema za boj/Preparation for battle”. Thar piece of footage was shot on one of the two vessels seen in the other films, so it can be assumed that the film was also shot in the port of Sibenik.
These incredible pieces of film are the oldest preserved film records in the Republic of Croatia and this part of Europe overall.
Zoran Lucic Luca therefore wants to mark this event in this way, and highlight a place that is important for Croatian history and culture, and especially for Sibenik. The opening of this Sibenik camera announces the theme of this year’s project by Zoran Lucic Luca and the Tourist Board of the City of Sibenik – an event called “Light is life”.
For all you need to know about Sibenik in 2021, check out Sibenik in a Page.
