SFSFF 2018 Program Book
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elcome to the San Francisco Silent Film Festival for five days and nights of live cinema! This is SFSFFʼs twenty-third year of sharing revered silent-era Wmasterpieces and newly revived discoveries as they were meant to be experienced—with live musical accompaniment. We’ve even added a day, so there’s more to enjoy of the silent-era’s treasures, including features from nine countries and inventive experiments from cinema’s early days and the height of the avant-garde. A nonprofit organization, SFSFF is committed to educating the public about silent-era cinema as a valuable historical and cultural record as well as an art form with enduring relevance. In a remarkably short time after the birth of moving pictures, filmmakers developed all the techniques that make cinema the powerful medium it is today— everything except for the ability to marry sound to the film print. Yet these films can be breathtakingly modern. They have influenced every subsequent generation of filmmakers and they continue to astonish and delight audiences a century after they were made. SFSFF also carries on silent cinemaʼs live music tradition, screening these films with accompaniment by the worldʼs foremost practitioners of putting live sound to the picture. Showcasing silent-era titles, often in restored or preserved prints, SFSFF has long supported film preservation through the Silent Film Festival Preservation Fund. In addition, over time, we have expanded our participation in major film restoration projects, premiering four features and some newly discovered documentary footage at this event alone. This year coincides with a milestone birthday of film scholar extraordinaire Kevin Brownlow, whom we celebrate with an onstage appearance on June 2. The festival’s longtime booster and true friend Frank Buxton (1930–2018) helped make SFSFF the world-class festival it is today, and we dedicate this year’s event to his memory. Enjoy the festival! 1 Mary Pickford on the set of Rosita. Photo courtesy of the Museum of Modern Art WEDNESDAY MAY 30 FRIDAY JUNE 1 continued SUNDAY JUNE 3 continued 7:00 PM THE MAN WHO LAUGHS 4:15 PM ROSITA 5:30 PM FRAGMENT OF AN EMPIRE Musical accompaniment by the Berklee Silent Film Orchestra Musical accompaniment by the Mont Alto Motion Picture Orchestra Musical accompaniment by Stephen Horne and Frank Bockius Introduced by Mike Daruty Introduction by Cari Beauchamp 8:00 PM BATTLING BUTLER 6:30 PM MOTHER KRAUSE’S JOURNEY Musical accompaniment by the Mont Alto Motion Picture Orchestra THURSDAY MAY 31 TO HAPPINESS Introduction by Leonard Maltin Musical accompaniment by Sascha Jacobsen and the Musical Art Quintet 10:00 AM AMAZING TALES FROM THE ARCHIVES 9:30 PM POLICEMAN Guest Presenters: Martin Koerber, Cynthia Walk, Davide Pozzi, Elzbieta Musical accompaniment by Stephen Horne and Frank Bockius Wysocka, Robert Byrne, and Russell Merritt Introduction by Eddie Muller Musical accompaniment by Donald Sosin TABLE OF CONTENTS 1:00 PM SOFT SHOES PROGRAM ESSAYS With short: DETAINED SATURDAY JUNE 2 Musical accompaniment by Donald Sosin 10:00 AM NO MAN’S GOLD 6 The Man Who Laughs Introduced by Jeff Lambert Musical accompaniment by Donald Sosin and Frank Bockius 12 Amazing Tales from the Archives 2:45 PM MASTER OF THE HOUSE 12:00 NOON MARE NOSTRUM 16 Soft Shoes Musical accompaniment by Stephen Horne Musical accompaniment by Stephen Horne and Frank Bockius 20 Master of the House Selected and introduced by Kevin Brownlow to celebrate his birthday! 5:15 PM AN INN IN TOKYO 24 An Inn in Tokyo Musical accompaniment by Guenter Buchwald and Frank Bockius 2:45 PM TRAPPOLA 30 People on Sunday Introduction by Hisashi Okajima With SAN FRANCISCO 1906 footage Musical accompaniment by the Mont Alto Motion Picture Orchestra 34 The Lighthouse Keepers 7:15 PM PEOPLE ON SUNDAY 40 Good References FEATURES Musical accompaniment by the Mont Alto Motion Picture Orchestra 4:30 PM THE HOUND OF THE BASKERVILLES Introduction by Martin Koerber Musical accompaniment by the Guenter Buchwald Ensemble 46 The Other Woman’s Story 10 Silent but not Silenced Introduction by Robert Byrne and Elzbieta Wysocka 50 Silent Avant-Garde 14 The State of Preservation 9:15 PM THE LIGHTHOUSE KEEPERS Musical accompaniment by Guenter Buchwald and Frank Bockius 7:00 PM THE SAGA OF GÖSTA BERLING 56 Rosita 28 Ozu’s Costumed City Introduction by Hisashi Okajima Musical accompaniment by the Matti Bye Ensemble 62 Mother Krause’s Journey to Happiness 38 The Musical Mind of Guenter Buchwald SFSFF 2018 Award presentation to Jon Wengström 68 Policeman 44 Dorothy Farnum: Advice from a Scenario Writer FRIDAY JUNE 1 72 No Man’s Gold 60 American Legacy 10:00 AM GOOD REFERENCES SUNDAY JUNE 3 78 Mare Nostrum Musical accompaniment by Donald Sosin 66 Workers of Silent Cinema Unite! 10:00 AM SERGE BROMBERG PRESENTS... 84 Trappola Introduction by Bruce Goldstein Musical accompaniment by Donald Sosin 76 Tony the Wonder Horse Introduced by Serge Bromberg 88 The Hound of the Baskervilles 12:00 NOON THE OTHER WOMAN’S STORY 82 A Letter from Location 92 The Saga of Gösta Berling Musical accompaniment by Stephen Horne 12:00 NOON A THROW OF DICE 116 Remembering Frank Buxton Introduction by David Stenn Musical accompaniment by Guenter Buchwald and Frank Bockius 96 Serge Bromberg Presents... 100 A Throw of Dice PAGES 2:00 PM SILENT AVANT-GARDE 2:15 PM THE ANCIENT LAW Musical accompaniment by the Matti Bye Ensemble Musical accompaniment by the Donald Sosin Ensemble 104 The Ancient Law 4 Musicians at the Festival Introduction by Craig Baldwin Introduction by Martin Koerber 108 Fragment of an Empire 118 Book Contributors 112 Battling Butler 134 Acknowledgments 2 3 Conductor, composer, pianist, and violinist GUENTER In addition to Bye, the ensemble members include MUSICIANS BUCHWALD is a pioneer of the renaissance in silent Helena Espvall, Kristian Holmgren, Lotta Johanson, film music. For almost forty years, he has provided and Laura Naukkarinen. This year, they accompany live accompaniment for thousands of titles, playing at the Silent Avant-Garde program and The Saga of AT THE FESTIVAL festivals worldwide from Berlin to Tokyo, both solo and Gösta Berling. with other musicians through his Silent Movie Music Incubated at the world-renowned Berklee College of Music in Company. Joined by percussionist Frank Bockius A chamber ensemble that revives the tradition of silent- Boston, the BERKLEE SILENT FILM ORCHESTRA is made up for An Inn in Tokyo, The Lighthouse Keepers, and A film orchestras, MONT ALTO MOTION PICTURE of student composers and musicians, who write original scores Throw of Dice, Buchwald leads the Guenter Buchwald ORCHESTRA culls historic libraries of music for its live for classic silent films and perform them live. BSFO returns to the Ensemble for The Hound of the Baskervilles. Read an accompaniments. Together Rodney Sauer, Britt Swenson, San Francisco Silent Film Festival for the fourth time, perfoming interview with Buchwald on pages 38–39. David Short, Brian Collins, and Dawn Kramer have re- on opening night for The Man Who Laughs. The 2018 class corded and toured widely, creating vibrant, emotional, composers are Phil Carlson, Benjamin Knorr, Marcelle Simpson, Based at London’s BFI Southbank, STEPHEN HORNE and historically appropriate musical scores for more Sonia Coronado, Daniel Tauber, Emi Nishida, and Dai is considered one of the leading silent film accom- than 125 films. The orchestra accompanies People on Haraguchi. Instrumentalists are Keren Satkin, Andrew van der panists working today and his music has met with Sunday, Trappola, Rosita, and the closing night film, Paardt, Stephanie Clark, Grant Bingham, Braden Williams, acclaim worldwide. Principally a pianist, he often Battling Butler. Jeremy Alvarez, Ethan Santos, Eren Başbuğ, Patrick Hanafin, incorporates other instruments into his performances, Tania Mesa, Nate Taylor, and Michael Simon. Faculty advisors sometimes playing them simultaneously. This year, he Pianist DONALD SOSIN has been creating and include Alison Plante, chair of film scoring, Peter Bufano, and performs solo for Master of the House and The Other performing silent film music for forty-five years, playing Rob Hayes, BSFO’s managing director. Woman’s Story, as well as the Garbo Rarities program for major festivals, archives, and DVD recordings. He at the Pacific Film Archive. Frank Bockius joins him for is the resident accompanist at New York’s Film Society Versatile jazz percussionist FRANK BOCKIUS specializes in Policeman, Mare Nostrum, and Fragment of an Empire. of Lincoln Center, the Museum of the Moving Image, jazz and is versed in medieval, flamenco, and Latin music styles. and the Brooklyn Academy of Music. His scores He has performed for dance and theater companies as well as Bassist SASCHA JACOBSEN draws on a variety of mu- are heard regularly on Turner Classic Movies and in his own bands, including the jazz quintet Whisper Hot and the sical styles from classical to jazz and Argentine Tango. his music accompanies films on more than fifty DVD percussion ensemble Timpanicks. He joined Guenter Buchwald’s In demand as a performer, composer, and arranger releases. He has performed at SFSFF since 2007, and Silent Movie Music Company more than twenty years ago and he has played with the Kronos Quartet and for many this year plays for the Amazing Tales program, Soft has since performed for silent films at festivals in Kyoto, Pordenone, theatrical greats, including Patti LuPone. He is founder Shoes, Good References, No Man’s Gold, and Serge and Sodankylä, Finland. He made his first appearance at SFSFF of the MUSICAL ART QUINTET, which performs his Bromberg Presents, as well as leads the Donald Sosin in 2014 and, this year, joins Guenter Buchwald, Stephen Horne, original compositions and includes Matthew Szemela Ensemble for The Ancient Law. and Donald Sosin to play for various films.