About

Known credits:
39
Birthday:
1873-01-01
Place of birth:
Seyssel (Ain)
Website:
N/A

Constant Girel

Overview

Constant Girel was the son of a pharmacist and studied the subject at Lyon, at which time his brother-in-law was employed at the Lumière factory. He was taken on as a Lumière operator some time in 1896, filming for them in Germany in September of that year, when he made contact with Ludwig Stollwerck and filmed Tsar Nikolas II's inspection of the German army at Breslau. It was the Stollwerk connection that no doubt led him to Switzerland, where he worked for another Lumière representative, Henri Lavanchy-Clarke, before filming the Tsar again towards the end of the year at Cherbourg and Chalons. On 6 December he left for Japan, arriving at Kobe on 9 January 1897, where he met up with the Lumière representative for Japan, Inabata Katsutaro. The pair then inaugurated the cinema in Japan with a program at Osaka's Nanchi Theatre on 15 February 1897. Girel's competence as a cameraman has been questioned, but he filmed a wide number of Japanese scenes, many of which ended up in the Lumière catalog. He returned to France after a year, being replaced by Gabriel Veyre, approached Pathé Frères but failed to find further work in film, and returned to pharmacy.

Known for

Directing
1900 Japanese Actors: Wig Exercise Directing Director 58
Average
1898 Un pont à Kyoto Directing Director N/A
N/A
1898 Procession shintoïste Directing Director N/A
N/A
1898 Lutteurs japonais Directing Director 58
Average
1898 Danseuses japonaises : la danse des ombrelles Directing Director N/A
N/A
1897 Japanese Sword Fencing Directing Director 58
Average
1897 Les Aïnos à Ueso, [I] Directing Director N/A
N/A
1897 Les Aïnos à Yeso, [II] Directing Director N/A
N/A
1897 Procession, I Directing Director N/A
N/A
1897 Coolies à Saïgon Directing Director 58
Average
1897 Une scène au théâtre japonais Directing Director N/A
N/A
1897 Acteurs japonais : danse d’homme Directing Director N/A
N/A
1897 Chutes du Rhin vues de près Directing Director N/A
N/A
1897 Bersagliers Directing Director N/A
N/A
1897 Une rue à Tokyo Directing Director 59
Average
1897 Acteurs japonais : bataille au sabre Directing Director 58
Average
1897 Repas en famille Directing Director 59
Average
1897 Sortie d’un temple shintoïste Directing Director N/A
N/A
1897 Yokohama : déchargement dans un port Directing Director N/A
N/A
1897 Dîner japonais Directing Director N/A
N/A
1897 Arrivée d’un train à Nagoya Directing Director N/A
N/A
1896 Roi et Reine d'Italie Directing Director 58
Average
1896 Cherbourg : débarquement des souverains russes Directing Director N/A
N/A
1896 Cherbourg: Entrée des souverains russes et du président de la République sous le hall Directing Director 58
Average
1896 Chutes du Rhin vues de loin Directing Director 58
Average
1896 Défilé du 8e bataillon Directing Director 58
Average
1896 Woodcutters Directing Director 58
Average
1896 Danse Tyrolienne Directing Director 58
Average
1896 Pont de bateaux Directing Director 58
Average
1896 Pont sur le Rhin Directing Director N/A
N/A
1896 Panorama pris d'un bateau Directing Director 58
Average
1896 Görlitz : revue devant Guillaume II et Nicolas II Directing Director N/A
N/A
1896 II. Inauguration Directing Director N/A
N/A
1896 III. Défilé de hussards devant Guillaume II Directing Director N/A
N/A
1896 Guillaume II et Nicolas II à cheval Directing Director N/A
N/A
1896 I. Avant l'inauguration. Arrivée des souverains Directing Director N/A
N/A

Camera
1897 Une rue à Tokyo Camera Camera Operator N/A
N/A
1897 Repas en famille Camera Camera Operator 59
Average

Crew
1897 Repas en famille Crew Cinematography 59
Average