Special Edition No. 2 - Film Stills Special - 1978

This special issue of Cahiers du Cinéma focuses on the often-overlooked film still, exploring its unique status as both a trace of a movie and an independent object of study. The magazine features articles by various authors that examine film stills in many contexts; from the on-set photographs used for promotion and their relationship to the films they represent, to the way stills affect our memory and understanding of a film, and the allure they hold for cinephiles. There is an in depth discussion on the different types of stills including production stills, photograms (images pulled directly from the film itself), publicity shots and even stills from television. The articles analyze how these images act as an echo of the film, or as a distorted or "traitorous" representation of it, and the ways in which the fixed image allows for an exploration of film, the bodies within, the stories they tell and our perception of them. Recurring themes include the nature of the gaze, the interplay between image and time, and the complex relationship between the viewer, the film, and the still. The issue also includes analysis of individual stills, delving into their aesthetic and narrative implications. This special issue appears to be trying to elevate film stills as an independent topic of cinema discussion, as opposed to just a byproduct of the films themselves.