Committee Description

Since the dawn of the 20th century, the movie industry has experienced a whirlwind of technological breakthroughs. From flickering black-and-white images to the dazzling realism of CGI, cinema has never stood still. Yet one constant remains: film continues to reflect the spirit of its age, its fears, hopes, ideals, and imagination.

Just two years ago, the Lumière brothers held the world’s first public film screening. A 50-second clip of a train pulling into a station sent moviegoers into a frenzy, convinced the locomotive would burst through the screen and into the theater. Following a wildly successful global tour showcasing their “moving pictures,” the brothers have now settled in Alexandria, determined to establish the world’s first unified film industry, a body capable of shaping this revolutionary medium’s future.

The Cinematograph Lumière Board now stands at a historic crossroads. Delegates must navigate the emerging role of cinema: as entertainment, yes, but also as an increasingly powerful tool for national storytelling, cultural expression, and political messaging. With Hollywood on the rise, questions around monopolies, globalization, and ideological influence are no longer distant hypotheticals, they are urgent, looming challenges.

How will the Board promote peace in a cutthroat, quickly commercializing industry? How can filmmakers balance creativity with technological innovation, and where do they draw the line between cinema as art, cinema as propaganda, and cinema as public discourse?

There will be growing pains, from managing public fear of new visual technology to overcoming the limitations of the Lumière camera and projector. Delegates will also face pressing questions: What kinds of stories should we tell? Who are our audiences? What global standards, if any, should be set?

Georges Méliès, a pioneer in cinematic storytelling and visual effects, once remarked: “Behind every lens lies a portal to another world.” The Lumière Board must now decide what kind of world cinema will reflect, and create.

International cooperation will be key as the Board mediates competing interests: domestic censorship vs. artistic freedom, technological access vs. market control, and global exposure vs. cultural preservation.

Onward, directors! The lights are on, the reel is turning, and the future of cinema is ready to unfold.

If you have any questions, feel free to contact Rian Reichel at crisis@ssuns.org

Will Meslin

Assistant Crisis Director

Émile Beauséjour

Vice Chair