"Ménilmontant" (1926), a gripping tale of two sisters seeking a new life in Paris after the brutal murder of their parents. Thanks to its expressive filming techniques and innovative editing, the film is considered one of the cornerstones of silent cinema. 

The film is silent and contains no intertitles. It begins with a flurry of quick shots depicting the axe murder of the parents of the protagonists, two sisters. As young women, they are portrayed by Nadia Sibirskaïa, Kirsanoff's first wife, and Yolande Beaulieu; their mutual love interest is played by Guy Belmont.

Like many French silent avant-garde films, Ménilmontant uses a mixture of styles and techniques. The film also uses many techniques that were relatively new at the time, including double exposure.