Sunday, September 10, 2006

NATIONAL PALACE MUSEUM PRESENTS LIVE MUSIC FILM FESTIVAL

Taipei, Sep. 8 (CNA) A film festival in which musicians have been invited to perform live improvisation to accompany a series of silent films was launched at the National Palace Museum (NPM) Friday.

The "Old is News: Sound of Silence" festival is showing 10 silent films that represent a spectrum of movie genres including documentary, romance, horror, science fiction and comedy. The films will be shown at the museum from Sept. 8- 17.

Golden Horse Award-winning musician Chen Yang performed live to accompany Charlie Chaplin's classic film "City Lights" Friday at the premiere.

"In this festival, we try to tell everyone why 'old is new' and how today's classic could be yesterday's avant-garde, " said NPM Director Lin Mun-lee.

"We hope to provide an original atmosphere for silent films and to create an enjoyable and memorable performance, " she said.

The other films to be shown include The General, The Cabinet of Doctor Caligari, Metropolis, Nosferatu, Triumph of the Will, The Goddess, The Phantom of the Opera, The Jazz Singer, and Where the Movies Begin.

Invited musicians include Chen Yang, Chu T'ou P'I. However, some of the films will be accompanied by DJs rather than by actual musicians.

The festival is the second part of the NPM's "World Perspective: Visual Series, " following a French film festival that was held in March. The third part of the series, a New Wave film festival, is expected to be held in February 2007.