The French Ministry of Agriculture has been producing, directing and broadcasting documentaries since the 1920s. These films have a particular take on the ways in which France’s rural and agricultural world has evolved. The Ministry of Agriculture has entrusted Ina with close to 150 hours of footage from three major archive collections.

The Jean Benoît-Lévy Collection (1922-1935): the inter-war years

Jean Benoît-Lévy founded the Edition Française Cinématographique and between the two world wars, he directed over 300 films for French institutions, on subjects such as hygiene, etc. A certain number of these films, commissioned or purchased by the Ministry of Agriculture, aimed to popularise new farming methods and knowledge and to promote modernisation in the countryside. The Cinémathèque still has around 100 silent films, shorts and full-length featues  made between 1925 and 1935.

The “Marshall”Collection (1945-1957): reconstruction

During the period when the Marshall Commission was helping the European countries with the rebuilding effort after the Second World War, it also distributed a number of American films popularising techniques and information on the possible ways of modernising Europe. The United States Information Service (USIS) also supported European films that had the same goal. This collection contains over 300 documentaries made between 1945 and 1957 and submitted to the Agriculture Ministry’s extensive distribution network. These films dealt with modernising farming, rebuilding towns and cities, developing Europe, but also leisure activities thanks to a collection of musicals.

Silent films in 35 mm

The third part of the collection is made up of silent films shot in 35 mm, some of which are truly historical and artistic treasures. They reflect ancestral traditions and bear witness to contemporary reality.