Chris Marker was a French filmmaker, photographer, writer, and multi-media artist who is widely considered to be the foremost pioneer of the essay film. More digressive, meditative, and playful than traditional documentaries, Marker’s films combine observational footage, often from his travels, with ruminative voice-overs. Ironically, his most famous work was his only foray into fiction, La Jetée (1962), a short science-fiction film composed almost exclusively of black-and-white still photographs. Despite Marker’s often secretive and reclusive relationship with the public, his intimate authorial voice gained him an international cult following.