Jacques Bolsey’s films, cameras, and inventions, artifacts of a seminal life and legacy, lay buried in the anonymity of a group of dusty and water-stained boxes. Their resting place: a cramped basement in the suburban community of White Plains, NY. Forgotten, these boxes would remain sealed for 42 years following the inventor’s death.
With the contents now strewn across a paint speckled New England floor, Alyssa Bolsey, a young filmmaker, discovers that her great-grandfather had invented one of the most influential and beloved motion picture cameras of all time, the Bolex. Who was this man and why had his life become such an enigma? Insatiably curious, Alyssa leaves Hollywood to track his life and embarks on a journey taking her to Russia, France, and Switzerland. She follows his struggle to survive in a story abounding with inspiration, passion, terror and conspiracy, all set to the backdrop of one of the most tumultuous times in history.
Reinventing himself for the third time in as many decades, and leaving Europe stateless, he emigrated to the United States to pursue the American Dream. In addition to the Bolex camera, Bolsey created a prodigious number of other inventions, each designed to solve a problem of the day. From innovative camera designs and plans for an electric car, to visions of a utopian community, Bolsey felt compelled to shape the future, and worked feverishly until he drew his final breath.
Almost 50 years later, his masterpiece, the Bolex camera, is still a vehicle for filmmakers today.
With the contents now strewn across a paint speckled New England floor, Alyssa Bolsey, a young filmmaker, discovers that her great-grandfather had invented one of the most influential and beloved motion picture cameras of all time, the Bolex. Who was this man and why had his life become such an enigma? Insatiably curious, Alyssa leaves Hollywood to track his life and embarks on a journey taking her to Russia, France, and Switzerland. She follows his struggle to survive in a story abounding with inspiration, passion, terror and conspiracy, all set to the backdrop of one of the most tumultuous times in history.
Reinventing himself for the third time in as many decades, and leaving Europe stateless, he emigrated to the United States to pursue the American Dream. In addition to the Bolex camera, Bolsey created a prodigious number of other inventions, each designed to solve a problem of the day. From innovative camera designs and plans for an electric car, to visions of a utopian community, Bolsey felt compelled to shape the future, and worked feverishly until he drew his final breath.
Almost 50 years later, his masterpiece, the Bolex camera, is still a vehicle for filmmakers today.