thu 22 apr | 8.30pm | book online
This captivating two-hour show of rare silent films, rescued from obscurity and restored, will be accompanied live on piano by Serge Bromberg.
Amongst the highlights are Le Pompier des Folies-Bergère (1928), starring the beguiling Joséphine Baker, Georges Méliès' iconic Trip to the Moon (1902) and Roger Lion's Gregor and His Gregorians (1929). Le Pompier des Folies-Bergère, a silent burlesque film, was probably intended to promote the review Vents de Folies between 1927 and 1928 at the Folies-Bergère. Méliès' legendary work Voyage dans la lune, made in 1902, represents one of the most valuable contributions to the silent film genre. Gregor and His Gregorians is the earliest known musical sound film made in France, which offers a rare glimpse of a then newly unemployed silent film pianist – Stéphane Grappelli – trying to play the violin. Other gems and curiosities will compliment this programme.
This evening is animated by Bromberg himself, who having grown up cherishing old films is eager to share his passion with the audience.
About Serge Bromberg
Serge Bromberg, familiar to UK audiences for his recent work Henri-Georges Clouzot's Inferno, is a film director, producer and founder of Lobster Films. Working with colleague Eric Lange he has discovered and carefully restored a large number of rare films, including 17 films by Georges Méliès thought to be lost. A collection of more than 20,000 exceptional films has been compiled due to their careful research and preservation work, as well as the purchase of valuable French and American catalogues. The Lobster collection is a treasure trove of old images in black and white or colour ranging from the birth of cinema to the beginnings of the 60s. All genres are covered from documentaries, war films and cartoons to jazz and music-hall films.
