Histoire(s) du Cinéma

“Histoire(s) du Cinéma” is a video project begun by Jean-Luc Godard in the late 1980s and completed in 1998. It is always referred to by its French title, because of the wordplay it implies: histoire means both “history” and “story,” and the “s” in parentheses gives the possibility of a plural. Similar double and triple meaning, as well as puns, are a recurring motif throughout “Histoire(s)” and much of Godard’s work. The densest of Godard’s films, Histoire(s) du cinéma is an examination of the history of the concept of cinema and how it relates to the 20th century; in this sense, it can also be considered a critique of the 20th century and how it perceives itself. The project is considered the major work of the late period of Godard’s career; it is alternately described as an essay and a poem.