Albert Kirchner (1860–1902), better known under the pseudonym Léar,[1] was a French photographer, manufacturer, exhibitor,[2] and filmmaker who is noted for producing several religious and erotic films.
Kirchner directed the first known erotic film, 1896 Le coucher de la mariée (or Bedtime for the Bride), that featured actress Louise Willy [af; ca; fr; vo].
In 1897, he arranged screenings at multiple locations that included the Oller Museum and the café Frontin in French capital Paris.
[4] Kirchner made Passion du Christ on behalf of a Roman Catholic publishing company, La Bonne Presse.
[3] Researcher Stephen Bottomore in Who's Who of Victorian Cinema: A Worldwide Survey suggested Albert Kirchner may be the person behind Lear and Co., a company in Egypt's capital Cairo, which faced prosecution for exporting pornographic pictures to Europe in the year 1901.