While many directors and stars of Hollywood have never heard the name Alice Guy-Blaché, those who attended the Saugerties Film Society’s Women’s History Month screening of “Be Natural” now know that this pioneering filmmaker was not only the first woman to direct a film, but also among the very first to create a narrative fiction film. From 1896 to 1906, Guy-Blaché was likely the only woman filmmaker in the world.
The screening, held Friday, March 7, at the Saugerties Public Library, was free and was hosted by the Saugerties Film Society as part of its ongoing mission to foster connection through powerful cinematic experiences.
Scott Anderson, 61, who grew up in Hollywood and now lives in Accord, N.Y., shared excerpts from his novel “Downriver: A Tale of Moving Pictures Before Hollywood,” as part of the evening’s program.
“Alice Guy-Blaché is really the grandmother of film,” Anderson said. “Though widely erased from film history, largely by male historians, she developed so much of what’s now commonplace in movies—from close-ups to character development.”
Narrated by Jodie Foster, “Be Natural” documents Guy-Blaché’s remarkable career, which began in France and later brought her to Fort Lee, N.J.—the center of the film industry before Hollywood. She directed, produced, or supervised about 1,000 films, primarily shorts, which were the norm at the time. In 2019, The New York Times profiled her life in its “Overlooked No More” obituary series, recognizing remarkable individuals whose deaths had gone unreported in the paper.
“The title of the film was her motto — be natural — encouraging actors to act less theatrically and more true to life,” Anderson added, noting that Guy-Blaché’s later years were marked by obscurity and struggle. “It was devastating to learn that when she returned to France, she couldn’t find work in film. Her huge impact wasn’t recognized. I’m glad to work with the Saugerties Film Society to help tell her story. Even Alfred Hitchcock was influenced by her.”
Paul Morgan, 61, a Saugerties resident, said he found the event inspiring and eye-opening. “To learn about a woman who was so accomplished and accepted among men so early in film history was illuminating, but then seeing all the credit go to men as the industry progressed was alarming,” he said. “I would never have learned any of this if it weren’t for the Film Society organizing this Women’s History Month event. These kinds of events are part of why I chose to live in Saugerties.”
Janet Grillo, an Emmy Award-winning producer and full-time arts professor at New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts, said she begins her film classes by teaching about Guy-Blaché.
“She not only made the first narrative films in America,” Grillo said, “she can be credited with developing the film industry to the point that it captured the attention of Wall Street. They saw the business opportunity, wanted in — and among the first things they did was push the women out.”
Grillo, who has called Saugerties her second home since 2015, added, “I just love how the film community is blossoming here in Saugerties and cross-pollinating with the Woodstock Film Festival, Upstate Films, libraries, and the community at large.”
Stars of Saugerties’ Film Community
Curator of the Saugerties Film Society since its founding in 2019, Katie Cokinos, 61, has been sharing her passion for film with the community since 2004, when she moved to a home just two blocks from the Orpheum Theater. She now serves as senior programmer of outreach and sustainability manager for Upstate Films.
“Film is such a powerful way for people to connect with each other and important ideas,” said Cokinos, a former Saugerties Library Board president.
A screenwriter and director of several short films and narrative features, Cokinos organized a series of free outdoor screenings during the COVID-19 pandemic. “People loved it and came out every weekend to be together, safely distanced and outdoors, sharing the joy of the big screen.”
Her husband, Alex Rappaport — now a candidate for Saugerties Town Board — helped make the screenings possible by repurposing a rescued screen from Woodstock’s Tinker Street Theater.
Another key figure in the local film scene was Gloria Fallon, a longtime library patron and mother of comedian and television host Jimmy Fallon. After her death in 2017, donations in her memory — matched by NBC Studios — enabled the library to purchase high-end screening equipment.
What’s Playing Next?
A mostly one-woman, volunteer-run operation, the Saugerties Film Society does not yet have a set calendar of screenings. But Cokinos enjoys creating themed series and hosting guest speakers and performers to bring films to life. She also ties screenings to contemporary events — like the Paris series she organized in 2019 when Notre-Dame Cathedral was burning.
“Right now, I think we just need comedies,” Cokinos said, noting the power of films to keep communities connected and uplifted during difficult times.
To get involved and see upcoming screenings, visit www.saugertiespubliclibrary.org/calendar.
Chana Widawski is a contributing reporter. Send correspondence to reporting@theoverlooknews.com.
