The Louvre initiates and co-produces film projects on the history of art, archaeology, civilisations, the history of the Palais and the contemporary museum in collaboration with independent producers. Three hundred films have so far been produced, shown on television, at festivals and in numerous national and international programs, including that of FIFA. Henri Loyrette, the Chairman and Managing Director of the Musée du Louvre, gave some of the world’s finest filmmakers access to the museum’s collections in 2005, confident that the two creative worlds would combine to generate new works of fiction. The Louvre, real or imaginary, would thus become part of the creative cinematic process. Tsai Ming Liang is the first director to have taken up the challenge: his Visages will be shot entirely at the Louvre in the summer of 2008. Historically, the Louvre has always welcomed contemporary artists, and over the years it has developed a framework for artistic creation. Film and the audiovisual arts are now part of this program. Since 1988, under the direction of Dominique Paini and then of Pierre Coural, the Louvre production team has supported such auteur films as La Ville Louvre by Nicolas Philibert and such highly imaginative programs as the Palettes series by Alain Jaubert. The Louvre’s audiovisual, cinematic and multimedia department has continued this commitment under my direction over the past six years, working on three levels: auteur documentaries, youth programs, and contemporary creation. Given that distribution sites are becoming less and less numerous for artists’ and cultural films, and in particular films on art, the invitation extended by FIFA is of great importance: it gives us direct contact with the public. It is an honour to present at the 26th International Festival of Films on Art this retrospective of the Louvre’s productions, and to thus pay tribute to the authors, artists, filmmakers, art historians, curators, distributors, editors and producers who have participated in this adventure over the last twenty years.

Catherine Derosier-Pouchous
Producer, Official Representative
Musée du Louvre