6th Intl Silent Film..

2 4 - 2 7
A U G U S T
SHANG CINEPLEX, SHANGRI-LA PLAZA, MANDALUYONG CITY
Since its inauguration in the year 2007 by the three
founding partners Goethe-Institut, Instituto Cervantes and
Japan Foundation, the Silent Film Festival grew fast during the
following years, when the Embassies of the Czech Republic,
France, Italy, and later Greece joined the group: In 2008 we were
able to show 6 silent black and white films from the years 1914
until 1933, accompanied live by 6 different Filipino groups of
talented musicians.
With the film THE BRIDES OF SULU we welcomed last year
the first participation of a silent film from the Philippines and
a group of musicians from Mindanao – thanks to the un-tiring
research work of our friend, film historian and film enthusiast
Teddy Co. Subsequently, silent films from the Philippines will
continue to shape the face of this festival in this year with two
entries by Raymond Red: “PELIKULA” (1985) and ETERNITY
(1983).
On behalf of my American, Italian, Japanese and Spanish
fellow organizers, I am proud to announce the participation of
our new festival partner, the Film Development Council of the
Philippines. With its Chairman, Mr. Briccio Santos, we signed
last month a Memorandum of Agreement on cooperation in
this exciting field of films, characterized by a very special film
language that revives the charm of a long forgotten time with
the help of very creative Filipino musicians and which pays
tribute to a unique heritage of film culture by our Filipino and
international partners involved.
By the way, 100 years ago from today’s opening of the 6th
International Silent Film Festival in Manila, the first full length
feature film for theatrical release produced by the Philippines
LA VIDA DE RIZAL, written and directed by Edward Meyer Gross
had its world premiere on August 23, 1912.
Last but not least, allow me to express our gratitude and
thanks to the long standing excellent partnership with the
management of the Shang Cineplex at Shangri-la Edsa.
Wishing you all exciting viewings of the precious films being
shown in the festival,
Richard Künzel
Director
Goethe-Institut Philippinen
SILENT FILM FESTIVAL TIMELINE
6TH INTERNATIONAL SILENT FILM FESTIVAL | MANILA
INTRODUCTION
RICHARD KÜNZEL
2007
ITALY
Cabiria (1914)
Music by
Caliph8 (with Malek Lopez
and Matt Deegan)
FRANCE
Visages d’enfants (1925)
GERMANY
Die Austernprinzessin (1925)
Music by Noli Aurillo
GERMANY
Die Abenteuer des Prinzen Achmed (1926) Music by Drip
SPAIN
El sexto sentido (1929) Music by Wahijuara
JAPAN
Orochi (1925) Music by Makiling Ensemble
SPAIN
El negro que tenía
el alma blanca (1926)
Music by
Novo Concertante Chorale
JAPAN
Taki-no-shiraito (1933)
Music by Bob Aves
CZECH REPUBLIC
Erotikon (1929)
ITALY
L’uomo meccanico (1921)
Music by Caliph8
2009
2008
GERMANY
Menschen am Sonntag (1930)
Music by Nyko Maca
SPAIN
La aldea maldita (1930)
Music by Joey Ayala
JAPAN
Oatsurae Jirokichi Koshi (1931)
Music by Kalayo
FRANCE
Fantomas: A l’ombre de la Guillotine (1925)
Music by Corporate Lo-fi
ITALY
Assunta Spina (1914)
Music by Caliph8
GERMANY
Berlin: Die Sinfonie
der Grosstadt (1927)
Music by Out of Body Special
SPAIN
La bodega (1929)
Music by Tanglaw
JAPAN
Kodakara Sodo (1935)
Music by
Radio Active Sago Project
ITALY
Dante’s Inferno (1911)
SPAIN
Pilar Guerra (1926)
GERMANY
Nosferatu (1922)
JAPAN
Akeyuku Sora (1929)
Music by Razorback
2011
2010
Music by FEU Chorale and
Stephan von Bothmer
GREECE
The Greek Miracle (1921)
Music by Heliodoro
(Dingdong) Fiel (HDC Trio)
Music by HDC Trio
Music by Bandang Malaya
PHILIPPINES
Brides of Sulu (1934)
Music by Armor Rapista
and the Panday Pandikal
Cultural Troupe
HISTORY
OF SILENT
CINEMA IN
GERMANY
T
Mit freundlicher Genehmigung von Transit Film
1927
METROPOLIS
FRIDAY 24 AUGUST, 7PM
Director: Fritz Lang Cast: Brigitte Helm, Alfred Abel, Gustav Fröhlich, Rudolf Klein-Rogge
Genre: Science Fiction Runtime: 143 Minutes
M
etropolis is a city in the
future, with skyscrapers
reaching for the sun and
citizens, enjoying their prosperity
under the rule of Johann Fredersen.
His son Freder falls in love at first
sight with Maria, a voice of the
working class who came from the
underground to end the separation
of rich and poor. Through her,
Freder discovers the price of
his luxury: In the underground
city, workers sacrifice their
lives for the machines. Shocked
by his father’s governance, he
swaps places with a worker
and abandons his former life. In
order to win back his son, Johann
Fredersen
instructs
Rotwang,
the inventor of Metropolis, to
construct a robot which looks like
Maria, to impeach her credibility
as mediator between the classes.
Encouraged by the mischievous
robot, the workers start a rebellion
bringing upper Metropolis close to
its downfall.
RSVP: Hannes - 817 09 78 or email: [email protected]
he
history
of
German
Stummfilm can be traced
back to the hour of cinema’s
birth. And even before the Lumière
brothers first displayed their
Cinématographe, in 1895 the
German filmmakers Max and Emil
Skladanowsky
presented
silent
films to the public in Berlin, using
their self-constructed film projector.
Although sound could have been
added earlier, film production was
costly and the addition of sound
impractical. However, silent films
never have been presented in silence.
In fact, musical accompaniment was
central to German Stummfilm, as
filmmakers were eager to explore
their potential to transform films
into a modern Gesamtkunstwerk
combining different forms of art
such as acting, storytelling and
music. Until the assertion of sound
in 1928/29, the Golden Age of
German Stummfilm and the rise of
German Expressionism brought up
films like Nosferatu, Das Cabinet des
Dr.Caligari, and Metropolis which
are testament to the innovation and
creativity of that time.
RUBBER INC.
Formed in 1998 by Malek Lopez
and Noel de Brackinghe, Rubber
Inc. successfully pioneered the
concept of live dance music in
the Philippines. Often confused
with DJs the duo originally
utilized an arsenal of keyboards,
mixers, effects, and samplers
to create music with a very
distinct sound that incorporates
elements of techno, house,
latin, drum n’ bass, and the
more leftfield sounds of groups
like Aphex Twin. Not limiting
themselves to the dancefloor,
Rubber Inc. have done numerous
gigs including performances,
sound design, and soundtrack
work. With Malek focusing on
scoring projects for television,
film and art exhibits. Noel
spent his time honing his skills
as an audio engineer and has
produced or engineered many
highly acclaimed albums. With
the years of studio experience
and the advancements in music
technology the band have a
whole new set of tools and skills
that has advanced the bands
sound and production.
6TH INTERNATIONAL SILENT FILM FESTIVAL | MANILA
HISTORY
OF SILENT
CINEMA IN
SPAIN
M
1925
LA CASA DE LA TROYA
SATURDAY 25 AUGUST, 3PM
Director: Alejandro Pérez Lugín, Manuel Noriega Cast: Alfonso Orozco, Luis Peña, Juan de
Orduña, Guillermo Muñoz, Domingo del Moral and Clotilde Romero
Genre: Comedy Runtime: 162 Minutes
F
ernando embarks upon an
adventure to Santiago with
the aim of getting his life
together and finally earning his
degree in Law. There, he stays in
one of the student dormitories
commonly known as “La casa de
la Troya”. Upon arriving, he meets
a Galician girl named Carmen
with whom he falls in love and,
in one of the parties they attend
together, he decides to propose to
her. However, this is opposed by
Carmen´s aunt who then intends to
destroy the relationship. Carmen
decides to enter a convent but,
in the end, Fernando succeeds in
winning her back with the help of
his friends.
RSVP: Nicole 526 1482 loc. 115 | email: [email protected]
SINOSIKAT?
onths after the cinematograph was
introduced to the public in 1895, it
eventually found its way to Spain
mostly thanks to the French filmmakers who
had travelled extensively with their new
invention. Gelabert’s “Riña en un café” (1897),
considered to be the first Spanish feature
film, broke the monotony brought about by
the usual newsreels and documentaries. Soon
the film industry would find itself constantly
battling a lack of resources but this did not
deter the production of quality films. Genres
grew to cater to the public and to compete
against European and American productions
which enjoyed more financing and better
technology. It would have been during
the 1920s when the silent film eventually
achieves public success. It can be said that
the growth of the film industry followed that
of the economy of Spain as it initially found
its hub in Barcelona while later on moving to
Madrid after WWI.
IGNACIO
PLAZA
In an industry where one’s success
depends on whom you sound
like, SinoSikat? breaks musical
stereotypes
with
their
own
concoction of home grown music.
Driven by their craft, they draw their
influences from both, the past and
the future. They have proven to be
quite a force in the music industry,
wowing audiences both, in the
underground and in the mainstream,
local & international, young & old.
Their lead singer, Kat Agarrado, also
won Wave 89.9’s 1st Urban Music
Awards’ 2009 Style Icon of the Year
title, proving that the band’s cultural
stamp goes beyond the boundaries
of music. SinoSikat? will be joined by
Ignacio Plaza, a Spanish live-scorer
best-known for his cine-conciertos
and his contributions to the
cinematheque industry. Together,
SinoSikat and Plaza will treat the
audience to a collaboration of sound
and sight that will surely give any
given rom-com today a run for its
money.
“A cine-concert allows for a single film to be screened
in different ways every time it is shown.” The work of
composing and improvising always highlights the thrill of
spontaneity that grows between the film and live music.
The life and craft of Ignacio Plaza has always followed
these basic principles. Since 2008, he has been with the
French Cinematheque of Paris where he plays numerous
instruments either as a solo or dual act with fellow artist
and improvisers. Apart from his work in the cinematography
industry, he also performs in a number of jazz collaborations
mainly throughout Spain and France.
6TH INTERNATIONAL SILENT FILM FESTIVAL | MANILA
HISTORY
OF SILENT
CINEMA IN
JAPAN
T
© 1932 Shochiku Co., Ltd.
1932
I WAS BORN, BUT...
SATURDAY 25 AUGUST, 7PM
Director: Yasujiro Ozu Cast: Tatsuo Saito, Mitsuko Yoshikawa, Hideo Sugawara
Genre: Comedy/Drama Runtime: 91 Minutes
T
his is the universal story of
life itself - joys and sorrows,
simply and beautifully told as
seen through the candid eyes of two
brothers; it is the uncompromising
attitude of children towards an
adult world full of compromises
and hypocrisy. Ryoichi and his
brother were overjoyed to move
to the suburbs. Little did they
know that their father’s motive
was to be able to live near the
director – his superior. Life
seemed rosy for some time, until
Ryoichi realized that his father
was so inferior in his dealings
with the director. In contrast, he is
stronger and brighter than Taro –
the director’s son. Why is it that his
father whom he idolizes is not that
great? Why did he make a fool of
himself in the film that was shown
in the neighborhood which made
Ryoichi flare up saying “You tell us
to become great but you are not !
Why do you have to bow to Taro’s
father? Consequently, all these
made the father reflect on his own
frustration and despair.
RSVP: Call 811-6155 to 58 or email: [email protected]
he history of cinema ironically
began with the absence of
words. The early films that
initiated the form in any country
were the so-called silent films. The
preponderance of the silent films
was such that a particular period
from 1894 to 1929 has been referred
to as the “silent era.” The rise of
silent films saw also the popularity
of the narrator, who was called the
benshi. In Japan, the narrator or
benshi took over the absence of
words by filling in and even adding
sounds and senses to what is felt to
be not there. Many film historians
and critics propose that the benshi
as the powerful narrator is unique
to the development of cinema in
Japan. The benshi would describe
foreign things and supply additional
narrative. In present-day Japanese
cinema, the soul of benshi roams
with a subtitling that translates or
defines things Japanese appearing
on screen, such as trademarks or
street signs.
TROPICAL
DEPRESSION
In the course of a 22-year
musical career, many words
have been used to describe
TROPICAL
DEPRESSION,
but actually, the name
still says it all: a band that
delivers one hell of a storm
wherever
it
performs.
TROPICAL DEPRESSION has
shattered stylistic barriers
and
scrambled
musical
genres like no other band
performing today. Tropical
Depression specializes in a
unique brand of domestic
and exotic riddims that of
world-wise, conscious and
spiritual
music.
Growing
out of the band members’
love and affinity for Reggae
and its offshoots, TROPICAL
DEPRESSION created a new
idiom in music and at the
same time functioning as the
gateway in introducing the
essential Reggae Riddim to
the country.
6TH INTERNATIONAL SILENT FILM FESTIVAL | MANILA
Garlic
HISTORY
OF SILENT
CINEMA IN
ITALY
B
1915
LA SIGNORA DELLE CAMELIE
(The Lady of the Camellias)
SUNDAY 26 AUGUST, 4PM
Director: Gustavo Serena and Baldassarre Neuroni Cast: Carlo Benetti, Olga Benetti and
Francesca Bertini Genre: Drama Runtime: 43 Minutes Film Credit: Fondazione Cineteca Italiana
T
he theme of “La signora
delle camelie” is a love story
between Marguerite Gautier,
a courtesan – a woman “kept” by
various lovers at the same time –
suffering from tuberculosis, and
a young provincial bourgeois,
Armand Duval. Armand falls
in love with Marguerite and
ultimately becomes her lover,
convincing her to turn her back
on her life as a courtesan and
live with him in the countryside.
The idyllic existence is broken by
Armand’s father, who, concerned
by the scandal created by the illicit
relationship and fearful that it will
destroy Armand’s sister’s chances
of marriage, convinces Marguerite
to leave Armand, who believes, up
until Marguerite’s death, that she
has left him for another man. Her
death from her illness, described
as an unending agony, during
which Marguerite, abandoned by
everyone, can only regret what
might have been.
RSVP: Call 8924531 loc 143 or email: [email protected]
etween 1909 to 1916, Italian
silent cinema represented a
major force in world cinema.
While many genres were filmed,
those that drew in the crowds and
money were historical epics and
dramas. Lavish sets, huge amounts
of extras, and innovative film
techniques were seen in many epics
like “L’Inferno” (1911) and “Cabiria”
(1914). The other well-loved genre
was the diva film: slow moving
but artfully designed melodramas,
with strong leading ladies suffering
glamorously and dying for love
in the final reel. One of the most
popular Italian femme fatales
was Francesca Bertini, the diva
of “Assunta Spina” (1915) and “La
Signora delle Camelie” (1915). After
World War I, foreign competition
almost
destroyed
the
Italian
industry, forcing production to drop
from 220 films to less than a dozen
works in 7 years. Silent film was
long considered a lost continent, but
little by little, they have reemerged
in all their glory from the public
and private archives throughout the
world.
Feat. Louie
Talan, Francis
Reyes & Zach
Lucero
Garlic is an improvisation-based
instrumental trio formed by bassist
Louie Talan, guitarist Francis Reyes,
and drummer Zach Lucero in 1998.
Their philosophy is to take any
musical idea from any member
of the band and expound on it
spontaneously without, hopefully,
resorting to self-indulgence or
clichéd licks. The band’s goal is to
make music at the spur-of-themoment that, if done successfully,
makes sense not only to themselves
but to non-musicians as well. Garlic
thrives on action and reaction inthe-moment; the members are fully
aware of the risks and rewards
of improvised music. Since its
inception, the band has garnered
critical acclaim from audiences
and musicians alike; however due
to each member’s schedules with
their respective home bands and
session work over the years, Garlic’s
performances have been sporadic.
The band intends to be more active
in 2012, and hopefully record a
long-awaited proper EP.
6TH INTERNATIONAL SILENT FILM FESTIVAL | MANILA
HISTORY
OF SILENT
CINEMA IN THE
PHILIPPINES
On
1983
ETERNITY
SUNDAY 26 AUGUST, 7PM
Director: Raymond Red Cast: Jon Red, Cresencio Lopez Runtime: 25 Minutes
A
haunting and genuinely
mysterious dream, full of
bizarre inventions. The
exact date, says the title-card, is
Goto 3, 2265. The exact locale:
Inside Jose’s Head, One Morning.
The film that is about to be seen
happens on the third day of an
unheard-of month in the futuristic
year 2265. But as the film unfolds,
1985
PELIKULA
the setting bears the marks of a
typical Philippine provincial town
during the nineteenth century…
Red’s astonishing debut film deals
with a man trapped in a recurrent
nightmare: bad dreams, interviews
for a post and rejection. He finally
tried to break the cycle by stealing
a cabalistic book from a mansion
atop a sacred mountain...
Director: Raymond Red
Cast: Jon Red, Jason Recana
Runtime: 5 Minutes
The title means “film”;
Pelikula is a short,sharp,
formalist shock.
RSVP: Hannes - 817 09 78 or email: [email protected]
Jan. 1, 1897, movies were first
shown in the Philippines by a
Spanish entrepreneur named Pertierra,
at his salon in Escolta, Manila. He
obtained a Gaumont Chronophotographe
from Barcelona and showed a program
of shorts imported from France. In
1898, Spaniard Antonio Ramos shot the
first movies in the country - four very
short actuality films.
On Aug. 23, 1912, the first locally made
full length film with Filipino actors, LA
VIDA DE RIZAL. was premiered. The
hour-long film was written and directed
by Edward Meyer Gross, an American
resident who was married to popular
zarzuela diva Titay Molina, who also
acted in the film.
In 1917, Jose Nepomuceno founded
Malayan Movies, the first fully Filipinoowned film company. In 1919. he
produced and directed the first allFilipino full-length film, DALAGANG
BUKID (Country Maiden). In 1922, the
first and only Visayan silent movie was
made in Cebu, EL HIJO DISOBEDIENTE. By 1933 Nepomuceno also had
produced the first 100% all-sound film,
ending the silent era. Approximately 94
local full-length films were made during
the silent era - 36 by Nepomuceno, thus
making him the Father of Philippne
Cinema.
DIWA
DE LEON
Diwa de Leon is a full-time
composer, arranger, film scorer
and musician. He also pioneered
his solo music effort called the
“Hegalong Project”.
The Hegalong Project is a
series of original music that
highlights the HEGALONG, a
Philippine two-string lute/guitar,
and combining it with a genre of
music from today. Diwa initially
chose electronic-ambient music
because it fits the natural sound
of the hegalong, but is also
experimenting with other genres
such as rock and jazz-fusion.
Diwa usually performs solo
with his hegalong, an iPod as
the basic setup, which already
sounds like a full band and
string orchestra on its own. He
occassionally invites musicians
to jam, which includes JP
Hernandez
on
percussion,
Frances Escape on percussion,
Aba Dalena and Zab Reyes on
vocals. Other musicians have
also been to known to join in
from time to time.
Diwa has won awards for
his film scores including “Best
Music” and “Best Sound” for the
2011 Cinemalaya film “Busong.”
6TH INTERNATIONAL SILENT FILM FESTIVAL | MANILA
HISTORY
OF SILENT
CINEMA IN THE
USA
A
1923
SAFETY LAST
MONDAY 27 AUGUST, 7PM
Director: Fred C. Newmeyer, Sam Taylor Cast: Harold Lloyd, Mildred Davis and Bill Strother
Genre: Comedy, Romance, Thriller Runtime: 70 Minutes
W
hen
a
store
clerk
organizes a contest to
climb the outside of a
tall building, circumstances force
him to make the perilous climb
himself.
A 1923 romantic comedy
silent film starring Harold Lloyd,
the film’s title is a play on the
common expression, “safety first.”
This photo of Lloyd dangling from
the hands of a large clock outside
of a skyscraper is considered one
of the most famous images from
the silent film era. The film was
highly successful and critically
hailed, establishing Lloyd as a
major figure in early motion
pictures. It is still popular at
revivals, and it is viewed today as
one of the great film comedies.
RSVP: Reysa Email: [email protected] Call: 301 2556/ 2553
merican silent films were at the
forefront in the development of
the cinema as the first modern form
of art and entertainment. American
inventor and entrepreneur Thomas
Edison realized that motion pictures
could attract a paying audience,
and designed an individual viewing
device called the Kinetoscope
that premiered April 14, 1894 in
New York City. Starting in 1914,
Charlie Chaplin became arguably
the greatest and most enduring film
star of all time. Many film historians
believe that the true potential of
movie-making was not realized until
D.W. Griffith’s 1915 feature film
“The Birth of a Nation” and his 1916
epic “Intolerance”. The tremendous
success of “The Jazz Singer”,
released in 1927, started a public
fascination with sound. By 1929, the
film industry was fully committed to
“talkies” and silent films were a relic
of the past. Chaplin’s 1936 classic
“Modern Times” signaled the end of
the American silent film era.
RADIOACTIVE
SAGO
PROJECT
The eight-piece ensemble from the
suburbs of Quezon City, Philippines
plays a critically acclaimed melange
of spoken word poetry, bebop, freejazz, punk, soul, funk, afro-Latin,
rock, and a mad sundry of musical
styles sprinkled with massive doses
of humor and irony.
The Radioactive Sago Projectís
perennially
surprising
stylistic
excursions have earned them a cult
following, from critics to art fans,
even to discerning rock audiences.
The band is fronted by four-time
Palanca Award-winning writer Lourd
De Veyra, along with alumni from the
UP College of Music, two-time Gawad
Urian awardee for Best Music, Francis
De Veyra on bass, Jay Gapasin on
drums, Junji Lerma on guitars, Pards
Tupas on trombone, Arwin Nava on
percussion, and Wowie Ansano on
trumpet. Eventually, the band added
Roxy Modesto (tenor and baritone
saxophone) and B-boy Garcia
(turntables) to beef-up the lineup.
6TH INTERNATIONAL SILENT FILM FESTIVAL | MANILA
ART
TALK
SUNDAY 26 AUGUST, 7PM
HOST: Teddy Co | SPEAKERS: Max Tessier & Raymond Red
MAX TESSIER
F
rench film critic and historian. Since 1965,
he has written for publications like Ecran, Le
Monde, Positif, and Cinemaya. A specialist
in Japanese and Filipino cinema, he has published
books lke Yasujiro Ozu (1971), Images du cinéma
japonais (1981), and Cinéma et littérature au
Japon de l’ère Meiji à nos jours (1986). He was
also artistic consultant for several festivals,
including Cannes (1983-2000). He now calls the
Philippines his home.
THE HERITAGE OF SILENT CINEMA
T
he silent film era
was the infancy of
the
cinema.
This
period lasted from 1894
to 1929 in the major filmproducing countries, and
up until the mid-1930s in
Latin America and Asia (in
Thailand, it went on until
the 1950s). We are now in
an interstitial period and
are witnesses to a massive
transition from analog to
digital
filmmaking.
The
closure of film giant Kodak
signifies the end of celluloid
- its impact comparable to
when the silent films were
being replaced by sound
films. With the success of
the contemporary silent
film THE ARTIST, it’s an
auspicious time to look back
and reflect on how much the
silent film has contributed
to the evolution of the art of
cinema, now on its second
century of existence.
RAYMOND RED
B
orn in 1965, Raymond Red was a vanguard
of the independent filmmaking movement
of the 1980s that sprang out of the
Mowelfund Film Institute and the U.P. Film Center.
A graduate of the Philippine High School for the
Arts, he became famous early on for Super 8
short films that he made between 1983-85. The
first, ANG MAGPAKAILANMAN (ETERNITY), has
achieved legendary status. His short film ANINO
won the Palme D’Or at the 2000 Cannes Film
Festival. His full length films are BAYANI (1992),
SAKAY (1993), KAMADA (1997), HIMPAPAWID
(2009), and KAMERA OBSKURA (2012), which is
a silent film.
6TH INTERNATIONAL SILENT FILM FESTIVAL | MANILA
6 th International Silent Film Festival
SCHEDULE
AUG. 24
GERMANY
“Metropolis”
ft. Rubber Inc.
7:00PM
AUG. 25
AUG. 26
AUG. 27
SPAIN
ITALY
USA
“La Casa
De La Troya”
ft. Sinosikat? &
Ignacio Plaza
3:00PM
La Signora
Delle Camelie
ft. Garlic
4:00PM
JAPAN
ART TALK
“I Was Born,
But …”
ft. Tropical
Depression
7:00PM
ft. Max Tessier &
Raymond Red
on “The Heritage
of Silent Cinema”
7:00PM
PHILIPPINES
“Eternity” &
“Pelikula“
ft. Diwa De Leon
7:30PM
I n P ar t n er shi p W ith :
Safety Last
ft. Radioactive
Sago Project
7:00PM