Filipino artists lend music to silent films in int’l fest1 min read
Reading Time: < 1 minuteFor the first time, the Silent Film Festival, now in its fifth year, features works from the Philippines and Greece apart from event regulars Germany, Spain, Italy and Japan.
The Philippines is believed to have lost all its films from the silent era (1912 to 1932).
But Teddy Co, a member of the Society of Filipino Archivists for Film, told the Inquirer that an American production, “Brides of Sulu” (1934) is actually two silent movies from the Philippines put together: “Moro Pirates” (directed by Jose Nepomuceno) and “Princess Tarhata,” both produced in 1931.
The link was uncovered through painstaking research. Co said the two films had earlier been bought and reedited by a US firm. Now, Co is reclaiming “Brides of Sulu” and, meanwhile, has submitted it as part of the lineup of the 5th Silent Film Festival, which runs August 26-28 at the Shangri-La Plaza Mall Cineplex. “Brides” opens the fest at 7 p.m on Friday.
As in previous years, the silent movies will be set to live music in various styles-jazz, classical, rock, chorale, indigenous and world music.
