TRIBUTE TO THE GREAT AUTEURS OF SILENT CINEMA

Silent Cinema visits again MCF, a place that never forgets Michael Cacoyannis love for the silent films. The 4th Silent Film Festival has as its topic: The Great Auteurs of Silent Cinema and it is organized from the 16th to the 26th of September 2013 with free entrance.

After the successful tributes to the American and European Silent Cinema (based on filmic choices made by Michael Cacoyannis) and thematic tributes such as the 3rd – Subject: The Emancipation of Woman, the 4th Silent Film Festival is about to screen 16 films that were shot during the period 1902-1929 and they are directed by famous auteurs such as Murnau, Lang, Dreyer, Eisenstein, Bunuel&Dali, DeMille, Chaplin, Keaton etc. The majority of the films are accompanied by original scores by Greek composers that are performed on stage.

More specifically, the first period that followed the 1st World War was largely known as the Jazz Period of the Silent Cinema. The focus of the thematic silent film festival on that period tries to give both artistic satisfaction and historical awareness by underlining the social role of the cinema.

The silent films during the period 1918-1930 were the mediums of diffusing the idea of building a new world constructed on the ruins of the Great War. Cinema was used both by the economic oligarchies in order to
maximize profit and the political leaders in order to manipulate the masses (e.g. new modus Vivendi, consumerism or even labors revolution). Do not forget that Cinema is historically the only kind of Art that was transformed into a great industry with economic and political significance.

From the end of World War I to the collapse of the ways of life because of the economic crash of 1929-30, cinema developed its artistic essence, as well as its propaganda mechanisms for political and economic exploitation. The rebellion-worker, the cowboy, the charming businessman, the suffragette and the femme-fatale are some representative examples of the change that was coming. But, this time, we focus on the auteur behind the camera, the hidden hero and not on the glamorous cast. We have chosen films whose directors name is featuring one or more times at the relevant list of the 100 best silent films ever (Wikipedia, IMDB).

Many of those films were not acclaimed during their time. In many cases, the films were well-received by the
cinema-critics, whereas the audience had rejected them. And now, the time has come in order to re-establish their prestige in front of the Greek audience. In addition, all the films that were selected pay their respect to the basic artistic role of cinema: they are entertaining journeys, quests, avant-garde creations and dreams.

Like every year, the 4th Silent Film Festival is organized in cooperation with the STUDIO-Parallel Circuit, and his President Christos Papadimitriou as well as the Film Scoring workshop with responsible instructor, Alexandros Mouzas.

Below, there is the list with the films that are going to be screened.

Monday 16th of September

 

Director: F.W. Murnau
Cast: George O’Brien, Janet Gaynor, Margaret Livingston

Musicians:
Nasos Martzoukos (violin)
Katerina Deligiannidou (piano)
Zacharias Tarpagkos (flute)

Beginning in summer, we meet a ‘woman from the city’ on vacation in the countryside and then we discover her affair with a ‘farmer’. The ‘woman from the city’ then proposes that he drowns his wife so they can run away together. Overwhelmed by the woman from the city, he decides to take his neglected wife for a row in a boat. She gets excited for the date, leaving her child at home, ready for a romantic day with her husband, hoping to rekindle their lost love. Whilst our rowing in the little boat, she senses something is not right. He attempts to push her overboard, but backs out last minute. She then escapes into the city, leaving him to chase after her. Eventually, he proves to her how much he loves her and she comes to forgive him as they share the day together, rekindling their love. Still, the thought of the city woman is in the back of his mind. Suffering severe grief and anger, the farmer is faced with a moral dilemma, torn between two loves and with murder on his mind. }

Tuesday 17th of September

Director: Frank Borzage
Writer: Benjamin Glazer
Cast: Janet Gaynor, Charles Farrell, Ben Bard

In Paris, in the early years of the twentieth century, lives Chico, a sewer worker with lofty aspirations. One night, Chico saves a young prostitute named Diane from the murderous rage of her tyrannical sister. Despite her lifestyle, Diane is honest and innocent, and when the police arrive to arrest her, Chico spontaneously claims that she is his wife. Forced to maintain this facade or else both face prison sentences, Chico reluctantly allows Diane to live with him – and in the process, love gradually blossoms between them. However, the dark spectre of World War I has begun to descend upon France and Chico and Diane cannot help but fall under its shadow.

Wednesday 18th of September

Director: Fritz Lang
Writer: Fritz Lang
Cast: Rudolf Klein-Rogge, Aud Egede-Nissen, Gertrude Welcker
Original Music: Konrad Elfers, Robert Israel, Aljoscha Zimmermann

Dr. Mabuse and his organization of criminals are in the process of completing their latest scheme, a theft of information that will allow Mabuse to make huge profits on the stock exchange. Afterwards, Mabuse disguises himself and attends the Folies Bergères show, where Cara Carozza, the main attraction of the show, passes him information on Mabuse’s next intended victim, the young millionaire Edgar Hull. Mabuse then uses psychic manipulation to lure Hull into a card game where he loses heavily. When Police Commissioner von Wenk begins an investigation of this mysterious crime spree, he has little to go on, and he needs to find someone who can help him.

Thursday 19th of September

Director: Carl Theodor Dreyer
Writer: Carl Theodor Dreyer
Cast: Maria Falconetti, Eugene Silvain, André Berley

Musicians:
Kostas Sakarelis (English horn)
Yannos Yovanos (cello)
Myrto Akrivou (piano)
Yannis Sfiris (electric keyboard)

With the vocal Ensemble “Eklipsis”

Arrangement: Mattheos Legakis

The depiction of the sufferings of the martyr Jeanne D’Arc (1412-1431). Jeanne appears in court where Cauchon questions her and d’Estivet spits on her. She predicts her rescue, is taken to her cell, and judges forge evidence against her. In her cell, priests interrogate her and judges deny her the Mass. Threatened first in a torture chamber and then offered communion if she will recant, she refuses. At a cemetery, in front of a crowd, a priest and supporters urge her to recant; she does, and Cauchon announces her sentence. In her cell, she explains her change of mind and receives communion. In the courtyard at Rouen castle, she burns at the stake; the soldiers turn on the protesting crowd.

Friday 20th of September

Buster Keaton – Sherlock Junior (1924) and The goat (71)

Director: Buster Keaton
Cast: Buster Keaton, Virginia Fox, Joe Roberts
Sound Design, Piano: Orestis Moraitis

A series of adventures begins when an accident during photographing causes Buster to be mistaken for Dead Shot Dan, the evil badguy.

Saturday 21st of September

“The Golem” by Paul Wegenert & Carl Bose (1920-85΄)
With the pre-recorded music by MARINA TZOULI
[20:00]

&

“Haxan: Witchcraft through the Ages” by Benjamin Christensen (1922-100΄)
With the original music by ANNA MOUZAKI
[22:00]

—–

[20:00]

“The Golem” by Paul Wegenert & Carl Bose (1920-85΄)
With the pre-recorded music by MARINA TZOULI

Director: Paul Wegener
Writer: Paul Wegener
Cast: Paul Wegener, Albert Steinrück, Lyda Salmonova

In 16th-century Prague, a Jewish rabbi creates a giant creature from clay, called the Golem, and using sorcery, brings the creature to life in order to protect the Jews of Prague from persecution.

[22:00]

“Haxan: Witchcraft through the Ages” by Benjamin Christensen (1922-100΄)
With the original music by ANNA MOUZAKI

Director: Benjamin Christensen
Writer: Benjamin Christensen
Cast: Maren Pedersen, Clara Pontoppidan, Benjamin Christensen
With Whisperfono5+
[Io Koutsothodorou
Pavlina Katsi
Gogo Charalabidou
Giorgos Liakos
Stefanos Yovanovski]

A historical view of witchcraft in seven parts and a variety of styles. First, there is a slide-show alternating inter-titles with drawings and paintings to illustrate the behaviour of pagan cultures in the Middle Ages regarding their vision of demons and witches. Then there is a dramatization of the situation of the witches in the Middle Ages, witchcraft and witch-hunts. Finally the film compares the behaviour of hysteria of contemporary (1921) women with the behaviour of the witches in the Middle Ages, concluding that they are very similar.

Sunday 22nd of September

[20:00]

“Nanook of the north (L’ Eskimau)” by Robert Flaherty (1922-79΄)

Original Music by Gogo Kalodiki

Director: Robert J. Flaherty

Musicians:
Marina Stalimerou (violin)
Gogo Kalodiki (electronic instruments)

In this silent-film predecessor to the modern documentary, filmmaker Robert J. Flaherty spends one year following the lives of Nanook and her family, Inuit Eskimos living in the Arctic Circle.

—–

[22:00]

“A woman of Paris” by Charlie Chaplin (1923- 71΄)

Original Music by Spyros Loukos

Director: Charlie Chaplin
Writer: Charlie Chaplin
Cast: Edna Purviance, Clarence Geldart, Carl Miller
Piano: Spyros Loukos

Marie St. Clair believes she has been jilted by her artist fiancé Jean when he fails to meet her at the railway station. She goes off to Paris alone. A year later, mistress of wealthy Pierre Revel, she meets Jean again. Misinterpreting events she bounces back and forth between apparent security and true love. Also misinterpreting, Jean commits suicide.

Monday 23rd of September

Director: Grigori Aleksandrov, Sergei M. Eisenstein
Writer: Grigori Aleksandrov, Sergei M. Eisenstein
Cast: Marfa Lapkina, M. Ivanin

This almost unknown film by Grigori Aleksandrov and Sergei M. Eisenstein is a unique example of political cinema. It is used as a symbolism for the transition from the old superstitions of the society to the rise of new ideas of collectivity and mechanization.

Tuesday 24th of September

Director: Erich Von Stroheim
Cast: Gloria Swanson, Walter Byron

Musicians:
Thanos Margetis (piano)
Nikos Kiakos (violin)
Merkourios Karalis (clarinet-bass clarinet)

Prince Wolfram is the betrothed of mad Queen Regina V of Kronberg. On manoeuvres, as punishment for partying with other women, he sees Kitty Kelly walking with the other students of a convent. Enthralled by her beauty, he kidnaps her that night from the convent, takes her to his room and professes his love for her. When the Queen finds them together the next morning, she whips Kelly and throws her out of the castle. Regina then puts Wolfram in prison for not wanting to marry the Queen. Kelly goes to German East Africa to visit her dying aunt and is forced to marry the disgusting Jan. The aunt dies after the wedding and Kelly refuses to live with Jan, becoming the head of her aunt’s brothel. Her extravagances and style earn her the name “Queen Kelly”.

Wednesday 25th of September

Luis Bunuel & Salvador Dali – Un chien Andalou (1928-15΄)
ALEXANDROS MOUZAS – Ergon Ensemble (Recorded)

&

George Melies – Trip to the moon (1902- 12΄)
Cecil De Mile- The Cheat (1915-59΄)
GIORGOS PAPAMITROU

Original Music by Giorgos Papamitrou

Director: Cecil B. DeMille
Writer: Hector Turnbull, Jeanie Macpherson
Cast: Fannie Ward, Sessue Hayakawa, Jack Dean

Musicians:
Dimitris Tsibanos (piano)
Vaggelis Nina (cello)
Lindita Mina (viola)

Edith Hardy uses charity funds for Wall Street investments in hopes of buying some new gowns. She loses all the money and borrows from wealthy oriental Tori. When her husband gives her the amount she borrowed, Tori won’t take it back, branding her shoulder with a Japanese sign of his ownership. She shoots him. Her husband takes the blame. In court Edith reveals all to an angry mob. }

Thursday 26th of September
Paul Leni- The man who laughs (1928-56΄)
ELENI MITSIAKI (DJ set)

—–

We wish you enjoying the screenings and we promise you that we are going to keep entertaining you with new cinematic tributes.“

Christos Papadimitriou
President of STUDIO-Parallel Circuit