In 1895, the Lumière brothers held the first public film screening, projecting moving cinematographic pictures to a paying audience in Paris. This event marked the birth of the global commercial film industry, revolutionizing entertainment and visual storytelling. The Lumières' innovations in filmmaking techniques and technology paved the way for the development of cinema as a major cultural force in the 20th century.

The Lumière Brothers' first public film screening introduced a new narrative medium that influenced early 20th-century poets. Techniques like montage and rapid transitions found their way into poetry, allowing for innovative explorations of time, memory, and perception.