The Sultan and the cinematograph

摘要

In the early years of cinema, monarchs and other absolute rulers developed an unusually strong relationship with the new medium. The Sultan of Morocco, Abdul Aziz, was very interested in film and in other new technologies, but this passion for 'the new' alienated him from his traditional subjects and helped lead to his downfall in 1908. The article traces his interest in film, and describes some of the early filmmakers who were based in his court.