Salome with Live Music from Bishi

Filmmaker: Charles Bryant

Alla Nazimova, Mitchell Lewis, Nigel de Brulier

USA / 1923 / 72 min

NFT1 Sat 7th Mar 5.30pm

Marvel at mesmeric lesbian Hollywood icon Alla Nazimova, whilst listening to the vamped up sound of award-winning singer, multi-instrumentalist and DJ: Bishi.

Introduced by Immodesty Blaize, the "undisputed queen of British burlesque" (Sunday Times)

The mesmeric Alla Nazimova, lesbian Hollywood icon, plays Salome in this adaptation of Oscar Wilde's play, based on the biblical tale. When the Prophet Jokaanan rejects her advances, Salome persuades her step-father Herod to kill him through her entrancing dance. Relish in the stylised performances, with wonderful costumes and Audrey Beardsley-inspired sets by Natacha Rambova.
Alla Nazimova

Russian-born Nazimova trained under Stanislavski in theatre before launching her silent film career. Gaining huge power in Hollywood (earning four times the likes of Mary Pickford), she began to produce and write the films in which she starred. Nazimova was known for her high profile lesbian affairs, whilst she maintained a lavendar marriage with actor Charles Bryant.

BEV Retrospective programmers Kelly Robinson and Ingrid Stigsdotter give us an enticing insight into the lives of these amazing Vamp actresses, the original A-list movie stars, on our Birds Eye View blog. 

Bishi

Bishi is a singer, multi instrumentalist and DJ based in London. She studied Sitar at The Ravi Shankar School for Music and has a passion for English & East European folk, progressive pop & electronica. In 2008 alone, Bishi has recorded with a tango orchestra in Buenos Aires, performed shows at Glastonbury and Latitude and held a concert performing her new album Nights at the Circus with the London Symphony Orchestra Strings. This new critically acclaimed album was also nominated for the Times Award and for a South Bank Show Award, and she recently appeared on The Culture Show and Friday Night With Johnathan Ross. Her new album will be released in spring 2009.

For venues and booking info click here.

 

This event if part of our Retrospective strand at the festival:

Screen Seductresses: Vamps, Vixens and Femmes Fatales

Sexy, iconic and controversial, Birds Eye View Film Festival presents the largest ever season of femme fatales at the BFI Southbank in March, PLUS five fabulous silent vamp films with live musical accompaniment from cutting-edge female artists. Click here to see more of the gorgeous films in this strand and read about the brilliant musicians accompanying them.