By FRANCK PRIOT
The three-month exhibition My Name is Orson Welles, which opened today at the Cinémathèque française, is no small thing — it is worthy of its subject.
That is to say, it matches both the legendary, almost multifaceted figure of Welles and the winding, sometimes fragmented nature of his career. The exhibition, with a scenography that is both simple and clear, reflects these dimensions perfectly: to say it is rich would be an understatement. It is very rich—so much so that one would do well to plan two visits in order to consult all the documents, watch the edited clips organized by theme in alcoves, look through all the photos and storyboards, and marvel at the many relics of the Orson cult gathered here.
For instance, no fewer than eight original screenplays of Citizen Kane! Apart from the MoMA, what other institution could assemble such a wealth of material? Especially since the Cinémathèque, drawing on its own collections, has also added period equipment, including a very large Mitchell camera—the same model used by Welles for Citizen Kane.
Among the most fascinating original documents to read: a press clipping on Orson Welles already hailed as “Actor, Poet at only 10,” Harry Cohn’s notes on the changes he demanded for The Lady from Shanghai, a letter from the city of Trenton, New Jersey, to the FCC detailing the consequences of the War of the Worlds radio broadcast, and a synthesis of audience comments from a test screening of The Magnificent Ambersons.
The exhibition is so rich it could have deserved a larger space — and more informative captions. The sheer abundance of material is sometimes almost under-explained; one would have appreciated more explanatory texts at some points.
Despite this richness — which gives the exhibition an event-like dimension and is accompanied by a very extensive retrospective — the curator of My Name is Orson Welles, Frédéric Bonnaud, does not feel compelled, in order to match the abundance of the show, to put forward a new interpretation of Welles, his work, or his relationship to it (the myth of the self-destructive Welles).
Instead, the exhibition gathers, supports, and reinforces — with impressive force — the immense body of research already devoted to Orson, with a kind of humility. And that, too, is very fine.
(A former film critic and journalist, Franck Priot is a French film and television producer known for his work in international co-productions, particularly between France and China. He heads Ghosts City Films, a Paris- and Beijing-based company that develops cross-cultural projects, including documentaries and TV series.)
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(My Name is Orson Welles at Cinematheque francaise features several prominent guests including film scholars Esteve Riambau and Srefan Droessler and authors Simon Callow, Catherine Benamou and François Thomas. The Paris exhibition is curated by Frédéric Bonnaud, director general of the Cinémathèque française with Riambau and Thomas are serving as advisors. The celebration of Welles’ career runs through January 11, 2026. Organizers will screen approximately 90 films, television programs, documentaries and unfinished projects throughout the months of October and November.)
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