At the Grand Café on Boulevard des Capucines in Paris, Auguste and Louis Lumière performed for the first paying audience, marking a pivotal moment in the history of cinema. This event featured ten short films, including notable works such as 'La Sortie de l'Usine Lumière à Lyon' and 'Le Jardinier et le Petit Fille'. The Lumière brothers developed the Cinématographe, a motion picture camera and projector that revolutionized film making. The films screened were around 50 seconds long, capturing everyday activities and life in a way that had never been shown before. Despite their simplicity, the films captivated audiences, showcasing the potential of moving images not merely as a novelty but as an art form.

The audience, which included influential figures from the arts and culture, reacted with astonishment and delight, paving the way for the nascent film industry. The presentation was conducted in a theatrical environment, indicating the potential for film to serve as entertainment. The success of this screening would encourage the Lumières to pursue further demonstrations and contributed to the rapid expansion of cinema across Europe and beyond, leading to the establishment of a new medium for storytelling and artistic expression.