‘Play On! Silent Shakespeare’ to open Silent Film Festival on August 25th

It’s a landmark year for the International Silent Film Festival Manila as the festival celebrates its first decade in existence. The British Council is participating for the first time this year and paying tribute to one of the biggest literary figures of all time with Play On! Silent Shakespeare. The festival is happening from August 25th to 28th at the Shang Cineplex, Shangri-La Plaza Mall in Mandaluyong.

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What sets the Silent Film Festival apart from others is that the silent movie screenings are accompanied by live musical performances from prominent local artists. The aim is to give local musicians a chance to score, interpret, and modernize a classic, international film.

Play On! Silent Shakespeare will be kicking off this year’s festival on Thursday night at 7:30 p.m. Tago Jazz Collective will be scoring this 2016 compilation of silent Shakespeare shorts from the British Film Institute (BFI) National Archive.

Malaya Del Rosario, head of Arts and Creative Industries of the British Council, shares during the festival’s press conference how their entry to this year’s festival is linked to a global campaign by the institution.”We chose this film specially because we’re celebrating the 400th death anniversary of Shakespeare. We’re joining this global campaign called Shakespeare Lives, which is a chance for us to share his works and influence in arts and culture the world over.”

As mentioned, Play On! Silent Shakespeare is a new compilation of silent Shakespeare shorts including the world’s earliest surviving Shakespeare adaptation, King John, and an early version of Hamlet, Merchant of Venice, and Romeo and Juliet, among others.

The British Council is joined by eight other institutions—namely the Philippine-Italian Association, Japan Foundation Manila, Goethe-Institut Philippinen, Film Development Council of the Philippines, Instituto Cervantes, as well as the Embassies of the United States of America, France, and Austria—looking to share their films, and by extension their culture, at the festival.

Why the British Council decided to join this year, Del Rosario says during a quick interview after the press conference, “It’s always good to be part of this collaboration with other institutions. It’s a way for us to expand our reach through film. Film is always a good medium to share culture.”

When we asked her why they opted to work with Tago Jazz Collective, Del Rosario talks specifically about the flexibility of the medium. “Since the film is a compilation the rhythm isn’t very repetitive. Jazz has this flexibility to it and it can easily adapt to different rhythms and of course it’s also an under-recognized genre of music and we’re championing that.”

If you’re not a fan of Shakespeare or just want to see what else the Silent Film Fest has to offer, different institutions will even be hosting things like lectures and round table discussions alongside the movie screenings.

Shangri-La Plaza’s Grand Atrium is also playing host to an interactive exhibition to promote the festival. The exhibit is curated by Filipina photographer and visual and graphic artist Nikkorlai Tapan and there are things like a timeline showing past films screened at the the festival, a live movie set where you can make and star in your own silent film, live drawings by visual artists, and an interactive photo wall to create your own movie poster. Interactive storytellers Manila Who even hosts trivia games at the exhibit area. The exhibit will be there until the last day of the festival on the 28th.

But, of course, we’re here for the films. Del Rosario encourages everyone to make time and check out the festival this weekend. She says, “If you’ve seen silent films before, the movement is kind of different because the technology is different. They relied a lot on theatrical set design. It kind of feels like watching theater… to combine that with live music, why wouldn’t you want to watch that? The energy of having something live there completely changes the scene.”

Aside from Play On! Silent Shakespeare, here’s a list of what movies you’ll be able to catch this weekend:

• Our country’s very own Maicling Maicling Pelicula nang Ysang Indio Nacional, set in the Spanish-ruled 1890s Philippines, will be shown along with the sounds of indie rock band, Oh! Flamingo, on August 26th at 5:30 p.m.
• Italy is presenting Maciste All’Inferno, a story that takes place in hell. The film will be introduced with a lecture by film expert Nick Deocampo, and will be accompanied by music from iconic Filipino musician, Ely Buendia on August 26th as well at 8 p.m.
• Instituto Cervantes is showing the popular Spanish zarzuela, La Revoltosa, which is an unlikely story of two lovers set to its original musical score to be performed by the DingDong Fiel Music Ensemble and tenor Miguel Ángel Lobato on August 27th at 3 p.m.
• Japan’s Muteki is a tragic story of forbidden love and is scored by the Makiling Band. This will be screening on August 27th at 5:30 p.m.
• American movie For Heaven’s Sake will be shown on August 27th as well at 8 p.m. This is an action, comedy, and romance about a wealthy man falling for a girl the opposite of him. It will be scored by the 10-piece genre-bending band Brass Pas Pas Pas Pas, composed of members from the country’s finest musical acts.
• France enters the festival with two films screening on August 28th at 3 p.m.: Le Pied de Mouton and Le Petit Soucet. Its music will be composed and arranged by Felipe A. Latonio, Jr.
• Following the French film on August 28th is Austria’s Der Balletterzherzog. Screening at 5:30 p.m., it’s a love triangle story between an arch-duke, a count, and a young ballerina, and will be accompanied by multiple award-winning vocalist of the Philippine rock band Wolfgang, Basti Artadi.
• Finally, the German film, Der letzte Mann, considered by many as the legendary F.W. Murnau’s most important work and one of the most revolutionary works in film history will cap off this musical film fête on August 28th at 8 p.m.. It’ll be scored by internationally-recognized local band, Up Dharma Down.

The 10th International Silent Film Festival Manila is open to the public for on a first come, first served basis.