“Louis Lumière is the last of the inventors but the first of filmmakers,” says Frémaux, noting how, with those early shorts, the Lumières created the foundational elements of cinematic expression, understanding framing, light, and the power of a single shot. Their focus on simplicity and direct observation are qualities that many contemporary filmmakers could learn from, says Frémaux, noting that when Wes Anderson visited the institute in Lyon and watched the first Lumière shorts “he said ‘this is cinema for the future!’ And he’s right.”