Amélie (2001) at The Capitol

Celebrating the photobooth as a popular character in cinema, RMIT Culture presents beloved French film Amélie (2001) as part of the RMIT Gallery’s exhibition Auto-Photo: A Life in Portraits.

Built in 1924, RMIT's The Capitol cinema is an iconic architectural masterpiece that has been a cultural hub in Melbourne for nearly a century. During its early years, it was part of a vibrant entertainment scene, coinciding with the advent of photobooths, which first appeared in the 1920s.

Directed by Jean-Pierre Jeunet, Amélie follows young Parisian woman Amélie Poulain, played by Audrey Tautou. On her quest to spread happiness to those around her. she discovers a lost photo album and begins a journey of secret kindness and the nostalgia of captured moments.

Image credit: 'photobooth scene', Jean-Pierre Jeunet, Amélie, 2001.