Alain Resnais; Jorge Semprun - Repérages - 1974

Alain Resnais – Repérages (1974) – First Edition with Handwritten Inscription

Alain Resnais & Jorge Semprún
Repérages. Photographies de Alain Resnais. Texte de Jorge Semprun
Paris, Éditions du Chêne, 1974
First edition / édition originale
Language: French
168 pages
Format: approx. 20 × 29.5 cm
Publisher's hardcover binding

An exceptional publication combining cinema, photography and literature

Offered here is the first edition, published in 1974, of the remarkable photographic book Repérages, created by one of the most important French filmmakers of the 20th century, Alain Resnais (1922–2014), with text by the distinguished writer and screenwriter Jorge Semprún (1923–2011).

Alain Resnais is regarded as one of the major figures of post-war French cinema. He directed such landmark films as Hiroshima mon amour (1959), Last Year at Marienbad (L'Année dernière à Marienbad, 1961) and Muriel (1963). His work played a major role in the development of European art cinema.

Repérages, however, reveals another aspect of his artistic practice – Resnais as a photographer and observer of places and spaces.

Photographs that preceded the films

The French title Repérages refers to the scouting and identification of locations for film production. Resnais's photographs functioned as visual notes connected with the search for places and settings for his cinematic projects.

He photographed streets, buildings, interiors, passages and other spaces which, through his particular way of seeing, ceased to be ordinary locations and became potential settings for films.

The book is particularly striking for its black-and-white photographs presented on black pages, giving the publication a highly atmospheric and almost cinematic character.

These images are more than simple documentary records. They reveal the way Resnais perceived space – looking for atmosphere, tension, memory and narrative potential.

Alain Resnais and Jorge Semprún

The book is also a remarkable document of the collaboration between two distinguished European artists.

Jorge Semprún was a writer, screenwriter and intellectual who collaborated with Resnais on film projects. His text provides a literary counterpart to Resnais's photographs.

Repérages offers a different perspective on Resnais's work: rather than presenting completed films, it reveals places, images and visual ideas that existed before or alongside the filmmaking process.

For this reason, the book is of interest not only to collectors of photography, but also to collectors and researchers interested in cinema and 20th-century French cultural history.

Particularly interesting handwritten inscription

The first page bears a handwritten inscription in French:

“Quoi repérer en 1983 ? pour toi. Alain”

Approximately translated:

“What to scout/look for in 1983? For you. Alain”

The inscription is signed “Alain”, which is particularly intriguing in the context of a book created by Alain Resnais.

The handwriting and signature are clearly visible in the photographs accompanying this listing. The inscription is not presented as an definitively authenticated autograph of Alain Resnais, as there is no accompanying provenance documentation allowing the authorship of the handwriting to be conclusively established.

Nevertheless, it is a fascinating and highly personal feature of this particular copy, especially because the wording directly relates to the central concept of repérages – scouting and identifying locations.

Condition

The book is in good to very good overall condition, taking into account its age.

The original dust jacket is not present. The book retains its original publisher's hardcover binding, which is in good condition, with light surface scratches and minor signs of handling.

The white pages containing the text and accompanying information show slight natural age-toning/yellowing, consistent with a publication from the 1970s. This does not affect the legibility of the text.

The photographic section is printed on black pages and remains visually well preserved; the age-toning visible on the lighter pages is not apparent in the photographic section.

The handwritten inscription is located on the first page.

Please refer to the photographs for a detailed assessment of the condition.