The New World (1957 film)

The New World (French: Le Monde de Lumière, literally "The World of Light") is a 1957 short documentary film directed by Alain Resnais. It was commissioned by the French National Library (Bibliothèque Nationale de France) to showcase its collections and history.

The film provides a brief overview of the Bibliothèque Nationale de France, highlighting its vast holdings, its historical significance, and its role in preserving and disseminating knowledge. It explores various departments and collections, including manuscripts, maps, engravings, and printed books. The narration, in French, emphasizes the importance of libraries and archives in safeguarding cultural heritage and promoting intellectual progress.

Unlike some of Resnais's later, more experimental works, The New World is a fairly straightforward documentary, employing traditional techniques such as voice-over narration and illustrative visuals. However, it still bears Resnais's signature attention to detail and his interest in exploring themes of memory, history, and the passage of time.

The film offers a glimpse into the resources available at the Bibliothèque Nationale de France during the mid-20th century and serves as a historical document in its own right, capturing the atmosphere and appearance of this important institution at that time.