2010 January 07 « The Bioscope

Die Carmen von St. Pauli, from http://www.stummfilmmusiktage.de

StummFilmMusikTage is a festival of silent film and music which takes place each January, held in Erlangen, Germany. This year’s festival takes place 28-31 January, and takes as its theme ‘Tough Guys and Easy Girls’. Here’s what they mean by that:

Friday, January 29th

6pm Film Historian Kevin Brownlow introduces Josef von Sternberg and Underworld

7pm Underworld (USA 1927, 80 min, Dir: Josef von Sternberg) – Score and accompaniment: Helmut Nieberle Trio

Saturday, January 30th

4pm Buster Keaton goes crime (short Films, USA 1921 – 22, 60 min, Dir: Buster Keaton u.a.) – Score and accompaniment: Yogo Pausch

6pm Introduction Sadie Thompson and Gloria Swanson by Film Scholar Ursula von Keitz

7pm Sadie Thompson (USA 1928, 94 min, Dir: Raoul Walsh) – Score: Joseph Turrin; Accompaniment: ensemble KONTRASTE conducted by Frank Strobel

9pm Introduction to Asphalt and the German Crime film

10pm Asphalt (GER 1929, 90 min, Dir: Joe May) – Score and accompaniment: Interzone Perceptible

Sunday, January 31st

11am In the beginning there was the hold-up – treasures from the BFI Archive (GB/USA/F 1900 – 10, 60 min) – Score and accompaniment: Miller the Killer

12.30pm Slapstick-Lunch – Snacks and Short Films in the Upper Foyer

3pm Die Carmen von St. Pauli (GER 1929, 114 min, Dir: Erich Waschneck) – Score and Accompaniment: Miller the Killer con Conny Corretto

6pm Reading from the novel Dr. Mabuse by Norbert Jacques
7pm Dr. Mabuse, The Gambler – Part 1 (GER 1922, 95 min, Dir: Fritz Lang) – Score and accompaniment: Aljoscha Zimmermann Ensemble

A fine programme, though a slapstick lunch sounds a bit hazardous. The festival is being held as usual in the Markgrafentheater Erlangen, a baroque theatre built in 1719 and still in use. Details, including advance tickets, are now available from the festival site (in German and English).

Another day, another Muybridge image, but they always look so good, and fit practically any purpose. This time it’s because there’s news of what should be a highly worthwhile event at the British Library. Currently we’re running there an exhibition on nineteenth century photography, entitled Points of View, which I’ve seen twice and will see twice more if I can, and strongly recommend it to anyone in the vicinity. It’s as clear and illuminating an introduction to the history of photography as you’re likely to find. The exhibition stays open until 7 March.

There are events associated with the exhibition, and on 1 February there is to be The man who stopped time: Eadweard Muybridge – pioneer photographer, father of cinema and murderer. It will be presented by Brian Clegg, author of The Man Who Stopped Time, the recent biography of Muybridge, and an additional attraction will be some unique animations of Muybridge photographic sequences by Marek Pytel. Come along at witness the historical point at which photography wills itself into cinema.

The event takes place 18:30-20:00 at the British Library Conference Centre (close by St Pancras station), and tickets can be booked now, price: £6 / £4 concessions.