1956

As a child, filmmaker Chris Marker always dreamed of visiting Beijing. In Dimanche à Pekin, he takes us on a journey through the city. He elegantly interweaves his thoughts and observations about Chinese traditions with the urban banalities of everyday life.

He may never have enjoyed the fame of a Jean-Luc Godard or François Truffaut, but many regarded Jacques Rozier as their equal. In his second short film, Rentrée des classes, a little boy throws his school bag into the river on the first day of school, which leads to a thrilling adventure.

Fool’s Mate, seen by some historians as one of the first films of the French New Wave movement, is perhaps Rivette's best-known short film—and with good reason: its tight camera work captures a mysterious romance.