Shingun (1930), directed by Kiyohiko Ushihara, from http://www.cinetecadelfriuli.org/gcm

Time winds slowly on, and it is only three months til the Giornate del Cinema Muto, or Pordenone Silent Film Festival – the highlight of the year for this silent film enthusiast, and a good many others of a similar persuasion.

This year’s festival takes place 2-9 October, and some details have already been made available of what looks like a particularly strong programme. Here are the outline details, with the major presentation being the work of the “Three Shochiku Masters” – Kiyohiko Ushihara, Yasujiro Shimazu and Hiroshi Shimizu:

Special Events
– THE NAVIGATOR (Buster Keaton, US 1924) [2.10.10]. The European Silent Screen Virtuosi [Bristol’s 6th Festival of Slapstick]
– Striking a New Note [ 3.10.10]
– Laura Minici Zotti: Magic Lantern Show [7.10.10]
– WINGS (William Wellman, US 1927) [9.10.10]. Score by Carl Davis performed by Orchestra Mitteleuropea
– RIEN QUE LES HEURES (Alberto Cavalcanti, 1926) + LA FOLIE DES VAILLANTS (Germaine Dulac, 1925) Musical accompaniment by Maud Nelissen + violoncello/cello, violino/violin.

Three Masters of Shochiku
Yasujiro Shimazu (1897-1945)
– ASU TENKI NI NAARE (Tomorrow will be fine) (1929) 55
– REIJIN (The Belle) (1930) 118′
– AI YO JINRUI TO TOMO NI ARE (Love, Be with Humanity) (1930) 181′
Hiroshi Shimizu (1903-1966)
– NANATSU NO UMI (Seven Seas) (1931-32), in two parts, 71′ + 81′
– GINGA (The Milky Way) (1931) 188′
– DAIGAKU NO WAKADANNA (The Boss’s Son at College) (1933) 85′ (silent film with contemporary synchronized score)
– MINATO NO NIHON MUSUME (Japanese Girls at the Harbour) (1933) 78’
– KINKANSHOKU (Eclipse) (1934) 97′ (silent film with synchronized score)
– TOKYO NO EIYU (A Hero of Tokyo) (1935) 64′ (silent film with synchronised score)
Kiyohiko Ushihara (1897-1985)
– SHINGUN (Marching On) (1930) 119′
– WAKAMONO YO NAZE NAKU KA (Young People Why Do You Cry?) (1930) 215′
Fragments:
– AA, MUJO (9’)
– JUNANKA (11′)
– KAIHIN NO JOO (The Queen on the Beach) (1927) (16′)

Room & Kalatozov
Abram Room
BUCHTA SMERTI (1926) 2284m
PREDATEL’ (1926) 2100m
TRETYA MESHCHANSKAYA (1927) (Bed and Sofa) 2025m
PRIVIDENIYE, KOTOROYE NE VOZVRASHCHAYETSYA (1930; sound added 1933) 2330m
YEVREI NA ZEMLE (1927) short
Mikhail Kalatozov
THEIR KINGDOM (Kalatozov, Nutsa Gogoberidze, 1928) fragments
JIM SUANTE (Sol Svanetii) (Salt of Svanetia) (1930)
LURSMANI CHEQMASHI (Gvozd v sapoge) (The Nail in the Boot) (1931)

The Canon Revisited
LE MIRACLE DES LOUPS (Raymond Bernard, France, 1924)
DRIFTERS (John Grierson 1929)
JIM SHUANTE (Salt of Svanetia) (Mikhail Kalatozov 1930)
MUTTER KRAUSENS FÄHRT INS GLÜCK (Phil Jutzi, Germany, 1929)
MOANA (Flaherty, 1926) 16mm transferred to Digibeta
HÆVNENS NAT (Benjamin Christensen 1915)
IL FUOCO (Pastrone, 1915)

Silence of the Amazon
Prog. I – Thomaz Reis
RITUAES E FESTAS BORORO 26’ c.
PARIMÃ FRONTEIRAS DO BRASIL 30’ c.
VIAGEM AO ROROIMÃ 25’c.
Programme II – Silvino Santos (1886-1970)
NO RASTRO DO ELDORADO (Alexander Hamilton Rice expedition, 1924-25) 85’ c.

“Making of” Films, 1 – France
AUTOUR DE LA ROUE
AUTOUR DE NAPOLEON
AUTOUR DE LA FIN DU MONDE
AUTOUR DE L’ARGENT (Dreville)
PARIS CINEMA (Chenal)

MoMA + NFA 75
ROBIN HOOD (Allan Dwan, 1923)
THE LAST MAN ON EARTH (1924)
VIOLETTES IMPÉRIALES (Henry Roussel, 1924)

Early Cinema
Early French Comedy
The Corrick Collection, 4

Rediscoveries and Restorations
Vincenzo Neri collection of medical films (1908-1928) 30’ approx
KARUSELLEN (Dimitri Buchowetski, 1922). Incomplete: Swedish Film Institute
KLOSTRET I SENDOMIR (Victor Sjöström 1919)
THE MOVIE ACTOR
SANTA LUCIA LUNTANA
THE TONIC (Ivor Montagu, 1928) 22’
[Selznick School short]

So that’s Japanese masters (including a chance to compare the aviation film Shingun with the American film that influenced it, Wings), Brazilian adventure films, Soviet silents, more classics brought before new audiences, rare examples of silent ‘making of’ films, and the usual run of rediscoveries, restorations and surprises.

More details will undoubtedly be added as we get nearer the time, and I’ll add them to this post as they appear. Meanwhile, if you’ve been to Pordenone before now, you can expect your registration for this year from the festival office by the end of this month. If you have not been to Pordenone and are thinking that this might just be the year when you do go, then you need to fill out a registration request form. More information, including travel and accommodation details, are available on the festival site (which is in English and Italian). And I hope to see you there.