cinephilia

Cinephilia is a passionate and informed devotion to cinema as an art form and cultural practice. It encompasses more than liking films; it implies sustained engagement with film history, theory, criticism, and preservation. A cinephile seeks knowledge about directors, movements, and techniques and often engages in activities such as collecting, attending repertory screenings, and contributing to criticism or scholarship.

The term cinephile originated in French as cinephilie and gained prominence in the 20th century with the rise of modern film criticism. In France the Cahiers du Cinéma critics, including François Truffaut and Jean-Luc Godard, helped shape the conception of cinema as a realm governed by authorial vision. English-language usage followed, with cinephiles described as devoted readers and viewers who pursue deep cinematic literacy and historical awareness.

Cinephilia is characterized by attention to formal film elements—shot composition, editing, sound, and mise-en-scène—as well as an interest in cinema as cultural and historical artifact. Practitioners often engage in archival work, attend film festivals and repertory cinemas, study theory, and participate in ongoing critical discourse. The community is transnational and intersects with academic film studies, restoration efforts, and programmatic curations.

Critics note that cinephilia can be perceived as elitist or gatekeeping, privileging canonized or 'high' cinema over popular or non-Western works. In the digital age, access to film has expanded, altering traditional cinephile practices but also enabling broader participation through streaming, online criticism, and digital archives.

Notable figures associated with the tradition include André Bazin and the Cahiers du Cinéma circle, such as François Truffaut and Jean-Luc Godard, as well as contemporary scholars like David Bordwell and Kristin Thompson.