[citation needed] Figner was Jewish emigrant who lived in the United States and landed in Belém, Brazil in 1891.
He traveled to many regions of Brazil doing public exhibitions of Edison's phonograph.
Nine years later Figner settled down in Rio de Janeiro, where he established in 1900 the Casa Edison, the first commercial recording company in Brazil.
He also founded Odeon, the first Brazilian factory of phonograph records.
Figner's three films consisted of short depictions of sights of the city of Buenos Aires (named Vistas de Palermo, La Avenida de Mayo and La Plaza de Mayo) and were screened 24 November 1896.