For the fourth year running, Goethe-Institut, Japan Foundation, Instituto Cervantes, and the Embassy of Italy present the International Silent Film Festival Manila happening from August 28 to 29 at the Shang Cineplex Cinema 2, EDSA Shangri-la Plaza Mall, Mandaluyong City.
Schedule:
August 28, Saturday
6:30 p.m. - Assunta Spina (Italy) music by Caliph8
Title: Assunta Spina
Year: 1914
Directors: Francesca Bertini, Gustavo Serena from the play by
Salvatore Di Giacomo
Cast: Francesca Bertini, Gustavo Serena, Carlo Benetti, Luciano
Albertini, Amelia Cipriani
Genre: Drama
Runtime: 62 mins.
Country: Italy
Synopsis:
Italian silent screen goddess Francesca Bertini appears in her most famous role in Assunta Spina, an operatic tale of love and sacrifice. Based on the play by Italian poet and playwright Salvatore Di Giacomo (1909), Assunta Spina is a tragedy set in Naples at the beginning of the twentieth century. After being assaulted by her jealous lover Michele, Assunta becomes the mistress of a corrupt man called Federigo so that she can visit Michele while he is in prison. When Michele is unexpectedly released, he discovers Assunta's "betrayal", setting the stage
for the film's tragic finale.
8:30 p.m. - Kodakara Sodo (Kid Commotion) (Japan) music by Radio Active Sago Project
Title: Kodakara Sodo (Kid Commotion)
Year: 1935 / Shochiku Kinema Kamata Film Studio
Director: Torajiro Saito
Cast: Shigeru Ogura, Yaeko Izumo, Shotaro
Fujimatsu, Akio Nomura, Jun Yokoyama,
Teruko Kojima, Kazuko Kojima, Mutsu Soga,
Reiko Tani, Eiko Takamatsu, Reiko Takigawa,
Nagamasa Yamada
Genre: Comedy
Runtime: 34 mins
Country: Japan
Synopsis:
The Fukudas are poor with several children to feed. They are soon to be blessed with their seventh child. However, Mr. Fukuda has no work and can hardly afford to pay basic utilities. Fortunately, they have a well, so it did not really matter when the water was turned off as they cook rice over an open fire. But then, when Mrs. Fukuda was to deliver the baby, it created a lot of problems. Mr. Fukuda rushed off to find a midwife. However, there wasn't a midwife in town who could help since they all rushed over to attend to the birth of the rich baron's pig. Further, when he tried borrowing money from the local geisha house - by using his daughter as collateral, it was not even possible. Things were looking pretty glum when the wheel of fortune spins Fukuda's way.
August 29, Sunday
3 p.m. - La Bodega (Wine Cellars) (Spain) music by Tanglaw
Title: La bodega (Wine Cellars)
Year: 1929
Director: Benito Perojo
Screenwriter: Benito Perojo based on the novel of Vicente Blanco Ibanez
Cast: Conchita Piquer, Valentin Parera, Gabriel Gabrio, Enrique Rivero, Maria Luz
Callejo, Regina Dalthy, Jean Coste, Colette Darfeuil, Joaquin Carrasco, Mme.
Guillaume
Genre: Comedy
Production: Julio Cesar S.A.-Compagnie Generale de Productions Cinematographiques
Runtime: 75 mins.
Country. Spain
Synopsis:
La bodega (1929), directed by Benito Perojo and based on the novel of Vicente Blanco Ibanez (1905), has for a plot the Andalusian wineries where there was an atmosphere of feudalism and clerical exploitation, coupled with a correlative misery and civil unrest. Also, during those times, the masters sexually harass their workers.
The film recounts the love affair of Rafael and Maria Luz, the daughter of Fermin who works at the wine cellars of Pablo Dupont in Jerez. When Rafael gets wounded in a smuggling operation, he was taken care of by Maria Luz. Now, Luis Dupont is known in Jerez for his scandalous festivities in which he is joined by her cousin Lola, called "the marchioness". In one of these feasts, one farm employee is killed by a bull because of their jokes. With his licentious behaviour, Luis courts Maria Luz whom he knows since childhood before Rafael's eyes, while the marchioness harasses Rafael continuously. One harvest time, Maria Luz gets drunk and gives herself up to Luis. Ashamed of what happened, she abandons Rafael without giving explanations.
5 p.m. - Berlin: Die Sinfonie der Grosstadt (Berlin, Symphony of a Great City) (Germany) music by Out of Body Special
Title: Berlin. Die Sinfonie der Grosstadt
(Berlin:Symphony of a Great City)
Year: 1927
Director: Walter Ruttman
Screenwriter: Benito Perojo based on the novel of Vicente Blanco
Ibanez
Cast: Conchita Piquer, Valentin Parera, Gabriel Gabrio,
Enrique Rivero, Maria Luz Callejo, Regina Dalthy,
Jean Coste, Colette Darfeuil, Joaquin Carrasco,
Mme. Guillaume
Production: Julio Cesar S.A.-Compagnie Generale de
Productions Cinematographiques
Runtime: 70 mins.
Country: Germany
Synopsis
This classic German silent film directed by Walter Ruttmann is a valentine to the "new" Berlin of thelate 1920s, enjoying a renaissance after the dregs of the Depression. It is also a prominent example of the city symphony genre, which characteristic feature is to portray the life of a city, mainly through visual impressions in a semi-documentary style, without the narrative content of more mainstream films.
Berlin Symphony of a Metropolitan is a cross section of the life and rhythm of a late spring day in Berlin, from dawn to midnight, a visual impression, created out of the millions of energies that comprise the life of a big city.
Entrance is free. Reservation is required. To make reservations, contact the participating institutions:
Goethe-Institut: Nana Enerio t: 817 09 78 email: inquiry@manila.goethe.org
Italian Embassy: Joseph Kalinga t: 892 45 31-34 loc 17 e-mail: commerciale.manila@esteri.it
Instituto Cervantes: Antonio Nartea t: 526 14 82 x 115 email: cultxmni@cervantes.net.ph
Japan Foundation: Roland Samson t: 8116155 - 58 email: rsamson@jfmo.org.ph
