[ NIHON BUNKA KENKYUU ] BUNKEN 101: Reviews, comments, and insights on Japanese pop culture.
September 4 – The Adventures of Prince Achmed/Die Abenteur des Prinzen Achmed (Germany), music by Drip (INVITATIONAL c/o Goethe Institut) September 10 – The Sixth Sense/El Sexto Sentido (Spain), music by Wahijuara (INVITATIONAL c/o Instituto Cervantes) September 13 – A Monster Serpent/Orochi (Japan), music by Makiling Ensemble 8 pm, Greenbelt 3 Cinema 2
For the past three years, silent film enthusiasts in the Philippines have been looking forward to the German Silent Film Festival—a unique film series that combines local music with classic German silent films. This year, the festival continues with a new twist: the films to be screened hail not only from Germany, but from Spain and Japan as well. The Goethe-Institut, Instituto Cervantes and the Japan Foundation proudly present the First International Silent Film Festival this September, featuring the German animated film "The Adventures of Prince Achmed", Spanish drama "The Sixth Sense" and Japanese samurai warrior film "A Monster Serpent".
German director Lotte Reiniger's 1926 film "The Adventures of Prince Achmed" (Die Abenteuer des Prinzen Achmed), which opens the festival on September 4, is widely considered to be the first animated feature. In it, a wicked sorcerer tricks Prince Achmed into riding a magical flying horse. The heroic prince is able to subdue the magical horse, which he uses to fly off to many adventures. While travelling, he falls in love with the beautiful Princess Peri Banu, and must defeat an army of demons to win her heart. The entire film is animated using the silhouette technique, which employs movable cardboard and metal cutouts posed in front of illuminated sheets of glass. Reiniger's masterpiece took three years to make. Providing a unique electronica score to the film is trip-hop group Drip.
On September 10, catch Spanish director Nemesio Sobrevilla's 1929 film "The Sixth Sense" (El Sexto Sentido). In it, Carlos and León go on a picnic with their respective girlfriends, Carmen and Luisa. Carlos, optimistic and lively - as opposed to León -, gives Carmen an engagement ring which she is forced to sell upon the insistence of her father, who wants to spend the money on bullfighting. The encounter between Carmen and her father is filmed by Kamus, using a camera which he calls "the sixth sense". Carlos recommends León to visit Kamus with the hope that the scientist will join him in his invention to cure him of his pessimism. The film will be accompanied by a live score by jazz group Wahijuara.
Closing the festival on September 13 is the Japanese film "A Monster Serpent" (Orochi). Set in a castle town in Japan's feudal age, Buntaro Futagawa's 1925 film depicts the trials and tribulations of Heizaburo Kuritomi, whose troubles stem from his love with two beautiful women of which he cannot convince either that he is a good man. He then becomes a killer trying to save one of them from a criminal who had rescued him subsequently after his escape in prison. The film is one of the few silent chambara-samurai warrior picture films to survive in relatively complete form at this point in time. Providing the music will be Makiling Ensemble. All the film screenings will be held at 8 pm at Greenbelt 3 Cinema 2. The First International Silent Film Festival is brought to you by the Goethe-Institut, Instituto Cervantes and the Japan Foundation in cooperation with Ayala Malls Cinemas, Greenbelt and YoCard. For more information, please call 811-6155 to 58 or visit http://www.jfmo.org. ph.
Note: Tickets will only be reserved for those who confirm their attendance on or before September 10, 2007. Reserved tickets must be claimed at the Greenbelt Cinema Ticket Counter by 7:30pm. Unclaimed Tickets will be forfeited and sold to the public (P50).