Albert Kirchner(1860-1902)

Albert Kirchner was a French photographer, manufacturer, exhibitor, and filmmaker who is noted for producing several religious and erotic films. He was employed by Eugène Pirou, a French filmmaker and photographer. Kirchner directed the first known erotic film, Coucher de la mariée (1896), that featured actress Louise Willy. The success of the film led him to continue to work in the cinema, and in January 1897 he and two colleagues, Anthelme and Pacon, patented a film camera "Biographe Français Léar" and formed a company to exploit it. In 1897, he arranged screenings of his films at multiple locations in Paris. That same year, in partnership with Michel Coissac, who later became a well-known film historian, Kirchner directed the film Passion du Christ (The Passion of Christ). Shot in Paris, it was the first film made based on the story in the Bible, and made Kirchner the first filmmaker to direct a film about the life of Christ. It was shown in a large number of regions and created influence among contemporary film directors of whom many adopted its theme.