Events

• 1905 – Abraham Zapruder, American businessman and amateur photographer, filmed the Zapruder film (d. 1970).

People (Births)

• 1893 – José Nepomuceno, Filipino filmmaker, founder of Philippine cinema (d. 1959).

Zapruder Film

The Zapruder film is a silent 8mm colour motion picture sequence shot by Abraham Zapruder with a Bell & Howell home-movie camera, as United States President John F. Kennedy’s motorcade passed through Dealey Plaza in Dallas, Texas, on 22 November 1963. Unexpectedly, it ended up capturing the President’s assassination.

Even though it is not the only film of the shooting, the Zapruder film has been described as being the most complete one, giving a relatively clear view from a somewhat elevated position on the side from which the president’s fatal head wound is visible. It was an important part of the Warren Commission hearings and all subsequent investigations of the assassination, and it is one of the most studied pieces of film in history. Of greatest notoriety is the film’s capture of the fatal shot to President Kennedy’s head when his presidential limousine was almost exactly in front of, and slightly below, Zapruder’s position.

In 1994, the footage was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant”.

José Nepomuceno

José Zialcita Nepomuceno (15 May 1893 to 01 December 1959) was one of the pioneering directors and producers of Philippine cinema.

He is also known as the “founder of Philippine movies”, and he had his own production company Jose Nepomuceno Productions. He produced the first Filipino silent film entitled Dalagang Bukid in 1919. The film starred Atang de la Rama, a future National Artist of the Philippines. He also directed Un (El) Capullo Marchito (“A Wilted Rosebud”) in 1920. It starred Luisa Acuña, who then became a famous leading lady in Filipino silent films.