Silent Film Festival in previous years, he had repeatedly portrayed wonderful actresses – the divas of silent cinema. During this year’s edition – under the slogan Lovers, comedians, screen heroes – the festival spotlight will be directed at the great stars of that era.
Great silent film actors – such as Lon Chaney, Emil Jannings, Werner Krauss, Whether Conrad Veidt – they brought to life on the screen characters of social outcasts, disadvantaged people and demonic villains. Hypnotizing lovers made your heart beat faster – Rudolph Valentino, John Gilbert, Mieczysław Cybulski, Ivor Novello, Sessue Hayakawaand the impressive stunts performed by Douglas Fairbanks and Buster Keaton were breathtaking – just like the movies full of crazy plot twists, extraordinary coincidences and great gags Charlie Chaplin and Max Linder.
While 25th Silent Film Festival – as every year – films will be shown with live music. The band will provide a surprising combination of trance, melancholic and humorous music Flash!. Group Viva Flamenco! will captivate the audience with a refined mix of traditional and contemporary flamenco, and a pianist Patryk Kraśniewski will charm you with calming, reflective sounds. Emotions and expression will dominate the band’s songs Tuulwhile Jacaszek will combine electronically prepared sounds with live instruments.
The films will also feature: Semi-Invented Trio led by Adrian Konarski, duo Cenkier/Skwirut (jazz, classical and Polish folk music), Ether Jazz Trio (young Krakow jazz with a hint of minimalism), handpan trio Maciej Trifonidis/Maja Włazy/Paweł Gajewski and DJ Tomasz Szmal (electro-punk, industrial and bass sounds). The festival will be opened by a young instrumentalist and composer Hania Derej accompanied by a string quartet.
Festival shows will take place in two locations: w Kino Pod Baranami and Manggha Museum of Japanese Art and Technology.
The festival program includes both well-known silent productions and titles that are yet to be discovered. Opening film will be “The Porter of the Atlantic Hotel” by Friedrich Wilhelm Murnau with an outstanding role Emil Jannings.
“Toddler” is a gag-filled comedy that marked a turning point in his career Charlie Chaplin. “The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari” (dir. Robert Wiene) is a film with enormous artistic ambitions, visible primarily in the set design, full of distortions, shadows and sharp angles. “The Mark of Zorro” (dir. Fred Niblo) with excellent Douglas Fairbanks in the title role is the first film adaptation of the story about the famous outlaw.
25th Silent Film Festival these are also films by two great directors: Alfred Hitchcock and Erich von Stroheim. “Tenant” is the first commercial success of the British master of suspense, giving rise to his distinctive style. “The Merry Widow” this is the only von Stroheim film that made real profits. The director created on the screen a dazzling world of high society and turbulent emotions.
The event program also includes: “The Dragon Painter” (dir. William Worthington) with participation Sessue Hayakawa – the first Asian star of American cinema, “The Circus Demon” by Tod Browning – creators of memorable ones “Dziwolągów”, “Sailor of Fresh Waters” starring the master of comedy Buster Keaton and American melodrama “Outside the Rocks” (dir. Sam Wood) With Rudolph Valentino and Gloria Swanson.
The Polish accent at the Festival is the film ““Over the snow” – adaptation of the drama by Stefan Żeromski, directed by Konstanty Meglicki. The cast includes: called “new Modrzejewska” Stanisław Wysockafounder of the Ateneum theater Stefan Jaracz and lover Mieczysław Cybulski.
A special place in the program of this year’s event is occupied by a French actor Max Linder. Festival participants will be able to see him in the film “Seven Years of Misfortune”made during the comedian’s stay in Hollywood. He is also the main character of an intriguing contemporary documentary “The Life and Death of Max Linder”which explores the mysterious and tragic fate of one of the great stars of early cinema. After the film screening conversation with director Edward Porembny will be led by film expert Dr. Paulina Haratyk.
On December 2, as a prelude to the festival, a special screening of the film will take place at Kino Pod Baranami “Nosferatu: A Symphony of Horror” Friedrich Wilhelm Murnau With original music by Hans Erdmann, recorded by the Saarbrücken Radio Symphony Orchestra conducted by Berndt Heller. A session in a series Movies of All Time will be preceded by a lecture by film expert Ewa Fiuk.
The full program of the 25th Silent Film Festival can be found on the Kino Pod Baranami website.