When the Projection of the Film becomes Mediation : The soliciation of a Comparative Writing

To present the genesis of a current film in an exhibition, no more obvious a priori than to establish a projection of a film. Yet if we look more closely, we find that the use of such a process is ambiguous when accompanying the visibility of arts (scripts, posters, scenery, models ...). In contrast to oral or written explanations, the screening of films allows for more affective and emotional ownership of the exhibits and urges the viewer to actively cooperate with them. How, then, this part does writing an artistic heritage and what are its limits ? Based on the case of the exhibition Le Cinema expressionniste allemand - Splendeur d'une collection (Cinematheque francaise, 2006), the subject of this article is to reflect on both the operating conditions of the film and the effectiveness of such an interpretive device in the museum.