Philippe René Doumic started his career as a photographer in the 1960s, producing numerous black-and-white portraits for UniFrance of the rising stars of the French cinema scene, including actors, actresses, and directors. Signing his photographs "Philippe R. Doumic," he worked in natural light and developed his own prints, which were shown around the world by UniFrance to promote the men and women whose films encountered increasing success beyond French borders.

To commemorate UniFrance's 70th anniversary, Laurence Doumic, the photographer's daughter, and the UniFrance Communications Department delved into the rich archives of Philippe R. Doumic, which contain several thousand negatives that have not been exploited for almost sixty years in order to put together this first exhibition exclusively dedicated to the photographer's work, titled "French Icons."
Presenting around forty images, many of which have never been seen before, this exhibition shines a light on this unparalleled body of work that portrays the great names of the Seventh Art. Works of great aesthetic beauty, many of Doumic's photographs have become emblematic of the French New Wave movement; others have inexplicably remained out of public view. Together, all of these images reveal the faces of the icons of French cinema of the day—actors and actresses, such as Alain Delon, Françoise Dorléac, Catherine Deneuve, Jeanne Moreau, Jean-Louis Trintignant, Michel Piccoli, Jean Marais, and Lino Ventura, as well as leading directors, François Truffaut, Jean-Pierre Melville, Agnès Varda, Jacques Demy, Jean-Luc Godard, and Claude Lelouch, among others.

The 4XD Experience

In 1964, UniFrance commissioned Philippe Labro to make the short documentary film 4XD, featuring four young actresses of the time—Mireille Darc, Marie Dubois, Catherine Deneuve, and Françoise Dorléac—with the aim of promoting these young talents around the world. It was a highly successful venture, with these extraordinary women becoming worldwide celebrities.

Visitors to the Galerie Cinema will have the chance to discover this film retrieved from archives in the gallery's screening room during the exhibition.

"French Icons": An exhibition of photographs by Philippe R. Doumic at the Galerie Cinema Anne-Dominique Toussaint from April 19, 2019

Galerie Cinema Anne-Dominique Toussaint, 26 rue Saint-Claude, 75003 Paris