Guest-edited by Nicolas Dulac, Vincent Sorrel, Stéphane Tralongo, and Benoît Turquety

The machines produced under the abbreviation Bolex by the Swiss company Paillard have their own history, placing them in an abundant and complex local heritage: that of precision mechanics and the clock-making and musical instrument industry. One camera in particular was the brand’s emblem and is, still today, one of the most famous pieces of equipment in film history: the Bolex H16, aimed at the demanding amateur. The task will be here to interrogate the camera along three main lines: its internal mechanics, in the industrial context of its design and manufacture; the particular gestures that the machine gives rise to in the person operating it; and finally, the way these elements affected the diversity of the Bolex H16’s social uses.