This visual timeline for film enthusiasts makes the history of cinema – from the earliest moving images to the latest blockbusters – newly accessible by organizing it chronologically.

• A large format makes it easy to trace the complex links between technological innovations, social changes and artistic interventions.

• An easy-to-read timeline identifies key films, together with commentaries and contextual information about the social, political and cultural events of the period in which they were produced.

• In-depth essays explore a variety of film genres and styles, break down the technical advancements of the last 150 years, and highlight pivotal figures who have shaped the development of filmmaking.