Sunday 23 November @ 7:00 pm – 9:00 pm
Live music & film at Turner Sims
Cert U | 1927 | Dir. F. W. Murnau| Drama | USA | 1hrs 37 mins
This lyrical masterpiece from the director of Nosferatu, a pinnacle of silent cinema, is a study of betrayal, love and reconciliation.
Sunrise (1927) is a landmark film in cinematic history that won the first Academy Award for “Best Unique and Artistic Picture” and received awards for Best Cinematography at the first-ever Academy Awards ceremony. It is often considered one of the greatest films ever made, known for its romantic drama, emotional intensity, and groundbreaking cinematography.
“Seduced by a vamp from the city, an unsophisticated farmer in a country village plans to murder his wife. However, on their journey to reach town, the couple rediscover their love for each other in a dazzling jazz age sequence. With its dreamlike realism, fluid camera work and simple, intense images of unequalled beauty, this adds up to one of the most enchanting experiences in the history of cinema.”
This screening features live multi-instrumental accompaniment from Stephen Horne on piano and Elizabeth-Jane Baldry on harp.
Stephen has long been internationally considered one of the leading silent film accompanists. Although principally a pianist, he often incorporates other instruments into his performances, sometimes simultaneously. A house pianist at London’s BFI Southbank for thirty-five years, he has played at all the major UK venues and recorded music for scores of silent films. He regularly performs internationally and his accompaniments have met with acclaim at many film festivals across Europe and North America, as well as Asia and North Africa. Discover more about Stephen on his website – stephenhorne.co.uk
Elizabeth-Jane Baldry is an English harpist who performs internationally. Her compositions have been used by ITV, the BBC, and Irish, Japanese, Danish, and Canadian film, radio and television. She is the only silent movie harpist in the world performing live to cinema screenings of early film. A passionate nature-lover, she is lucky enough to own a magical ten acre wood in the Dartmoor National Park where she grows trees, keeps bees, and brews tea in a twig kettle. You can read more about her on her website – elizabethjanebaldry.com
“Murnau’s greatness lies in this realization – that it is possible to photograph the real world and yet invest it with a variety of poetic, imaginative, and subjective qualities.” – David Thomson
