Jean-Louis Comolli: Filming the Creative Process

Comolli is one of the pioneers and great theoreticians of the art-house documentary. Naissance d'un hôpital, one of his most beautiful films on the lines of intersection between fiction and documentary, consists of footage of the architect, Pierre Riboulet, in the creative process, making use of his notebook, designs, plans and models for the Robert Debré Hospital, built eight years earlier: "In this film, it is impossible to separate the documentary dimension from that of fiction. Riboulet's body, voice, gestures are his: documentary. But Riboulet is eight years older. He is re-enacting his role: fiction." (Comolli).

Naissance d'un hôpital, Jean-Louis Comolli. France, 1991, 66 min., video