by Braddon Mendelson
Loosely based on historical events — very loosely.
In the spring of 1839, scenic artist Louis Daguerre and American inventor Samuel Morse meet for the first time in Daguerre’s Paris studio, each eager to demonstrate his groundbreaking invention. When they notice a mysterious silhouetted figure in one of Daguerre’s images, the two men embark on an outlandish quest to identify the first human ever captured in a photograph
When Louis Daguerre and Samuel Morse meet in 1839 Paris, a mysterious figure in one of Daguerre’s images sends the two inventors on an increasingly absurd quest to identify the first human ever photographed
In the spring of 1839, scenic artist Louis Daguerre is on the brink of unveiling his revolutionary daguerreotype process, a breakthrough that will forever change how the world sees itself. When American inventor Samuel Morse visits Daguerre’s Paris studio to demonstrate his own telegraph prototype, the two men quickly discover they share more than ambition — they share an unshakable belief that their invention will define the future.
As they trade demonstrations and barbs, Daguerre reveals a curious detail in one of his photographic plates: a faint, silhouetted figure — the first accidental human ever captured in an image. What begins as a scientific curiosity spirals into a wildly misguided quest to identify the mysterious subject, pulling the men into a comic collision of ego, nationalism, artistic pride, and technological rivalry.
Rembrandt Perfected reimagines this historic meeting with irreverent humor and escalating absurdity, exploring how two visionaries — each convinced of his own genius — attempt to perfect the same moment in history.
8 Total: 5m, 1w, 2 m/w
LOUIS-JACQUES-MANDÉ DAGUERRE, male, 50ish, French.
MADAME LOUISE GEORGINA DAGUERRE, female, 50ish to 60ish, French from
English decent, Daguerre’s wife.
SAMUEL MORSE, male, mid to late 40s, American, an accomplished fine
artist and inventor, ambitious, stubborn.
FRANCOIS FAUCHEUX, male, 30s to 40s, French, a working class guy who
has come upon hard times.
DR. CHARLES JACKSON, male, 35-40, American scientist, a highly educated
expert in many fields.
CHARLES BOUTON, male, 40s-50s, French, a talented painter and partner of Daguerre.
POLICEMAN, male or female, French.
BOOTBLACK, male or female, French, to play 15
Production Photos
World Premiere — Santa Clarita, 2023
Photos by Tim Hart
1834 and 1839. Early photography era, Paris.
PARIS
Daguerre’s Paris studio and surrounding locations.
Inside Daguerre’s Paris Diorama.
110 Minutes (intermission optional)
View / Download One-sheet
