While in Brussels, Gance wrote his first film scenarios, which he sold to Léonce Perret. Back in Paris in 1909, he acted in his first film, Perret's "Molière". At that stage, he regarded the cinema as "infantile and stupid" and was only drawn into film jobs by his poverty, but he nevertheless continued to write scenarios, and often sold them to Gaumont. During this period he was diagnosed with tuberculosis, often fatal at that time, but after a period of retreat in Vittel he recovered. With some friends, he established a production company, Le Film Français, and began directing his own films in 1911 with "La Digue (ou Pour sauver la Hollande)", a historical film which featured the first screen appearance of Pierre Renoir.