STORIES of love, tragedy, comedy, history and passion will be showcased in this year's International Silent Film Festival, the only one of its kind in Asia.
Now on its ninth year, the four-day festival will open with the screening of Austrian classic "Orlacs Hände" (The Hands of Orlac), a 1924 silent horror film based on the fantasy novel of French writer Maurice Renard.
Directed by Robert Wiene, the film tells of the story of world-famous pianist Paul Orlac, who receives a double hand transplant and later finds out that his new hands belonged to a criminal.
The "Orlacs Hände" screening on August 27 at the Shang Cineplex at Edsa Shangri-la Plaza in Mandaluyong City will feature a live musical score by The Executives, the Philippines’ oldest Big Band jazz band founded by the late Senator Raul Manglapus in 1957.
On August 28, the festival will feature the Philippines’ "Brides of Sulu" with live music from Kjwan and Japan’s series of short silent films, "Kokushi Muso" (Peerless Patriot), "Wasei Kenka Tomodachi" (Fighting Friends – Japanese Style), "Tokkan Kozo" (A Straightforward Boy), and "Ishikawa Goemon no Hoji" (A Buddhist Mass for Goemon Ishikawa) which will be accompanied by Hidden Nikki.
Thailand will screen its first silent film "The Overture" on August 29 accompanied by the Royal Thai Navy Traditional Ensemble.
Next to "The Overture" is Germany’s "Berlin, die Sinfonie der Großstadt" (Berlin, Symphony of a Great City), which will be accompanied by Pierre Oser and the Big Jazz Balloon.
Finally, Spain’s "Don Juan Tenorio" will be shown with the musical performance from The Dingdong Fiel Trio.
Culminating the film festival on August 30 are France’s "Paris Qui Dort" (The Crazy Ray), accompanied by Ian Lofamia Blues Band, Italy’s "Gli ultimi giorni di Pompei" (The Last Days of Pompeii) with musical accompaniment from The Dawn, and the United States' "Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans" with musical performance from Razorback. (Virgil Lopez/Sunnex)