May 26, 2010 | No Comments | ByClare Callan
Greta Garbo who stars in The Temptress
This week we present a selection of three of our very best live music to silent film commissions ever in: Sound & Silents, BEV’s mini-season of live music to silent film. The events including The Temptress with music from Natalie Clein in which Greta Garbo stars as a melancholy vamp in an emotional rollercoaster with live musical accompaniment from the Classical Brit Award Winning cellist, My Best Girl accompanied by The Elysian Quartet; A delightful romantic comedy starring Mary Pickford with music from the only British string quartet of its generation dedicated exclusively to contemporary and experimental music and I Don’t Want to be a Man! accompanied by Zoe Rahman + The Danger Girl accompanied by Juice; A fantastic double bill of silent comedy featuring Ossi Oswalda and Gloria Swanson with music from the acclaimed jazz pianist and experimental vocal trio. Although we have been blogging like mad about the musicians we have not said much about these iconic films. Screened originally as part of our festival seasons Screen Seductresses: Vamps, Vixens & Femmes Fatales and Clowning Glories: Women in Film Comedy Before 1930 here’s a bit about each upcoming film, the musians compositions and some fascinating articles about femme fatales and funny women. Read the full story
May 20, 2010 | 1 Comment | ByClare Callan
Natalie Clein
Natalie Clein‘s exceptional musicality has earned her a number of prestigious prizes including the Classical Brit Award for Young British Performer, the Ingrid zu Solms Cultur Preis at the 2003 Kronberg Academie, and the BBC Young Musician of the Year aged just 16. Her playing is incredibly passionate. On the May 27th she brings her improvised accompaniment to the brilliant silent vampy flick The Temptress starring Greta Garbo as part of our Sound and Silents season. We caught up with her earlier this week. Read the full story
May 13, 2010 | No Comments | ByClare Callan
Zoe Rahman
Zoe Rahman has firmly established herself as one of the brightest stars on the contemporary jazz scene. Described in The Observer as “one of the finest young pianists in Europe”, Zoe has recorded four critically acclaimed albums. Melting Pot, was nominated for the Nationwide Mercury Prize and was voted ‘Jazz Album of the Year’ at the Parliamentary Jazz Awards.
We are lucky enough to have her performing her specially commissioned live score to I Don’t Want To Be A Man! On the 29th May as part of out Sound and Silents Season. Here’s what she had to say.
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May 12, 2010 | No Comments | ByClare Callan
As part of our Sound and Silents Season coming up in a couple of weeks classical Brit Award winning cellist Natalie Clein, Mercury Award nominated jazz pianist Zoe Rahman and the only British string quartet of its generation dedicated exclusively to contemporary and experimental music, The Elysian Quartet will perform their specially commissioned live accompaniments to four silent films featuring icons such as Greta Garbo and Gloria Swanson.
From sultry femme fatale filled drama to slapstick romanic comedy, the films The Temptress, I Don’t Want to Be A Man! and My Best Girl are brought to life by these accomplished musicians. To give you a taste of their sound we have selected some of our favourite videos of them performing live from trusty Youtube.
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Mar 8, 2010 | No Comments | ByEmily Seed
Kathryn Bigelow wins the Oscar for Best Director
She did it! Kathryn Bigelow has made film history by becoming the first ever woman in all 82 years of the Oscars to win the Best Director Academy Award for her low-budget war drama The Hurt Locker. Filmmaking women across the world, including we BEV-vers, stood up and applauded her in front of our TVs at 5am this morning! Bigelow’s fellow nominees were her ex-husband James Cameron for Avatar, Quentin Tarantino for Inglourious Basterds, Jason Reitman for Up In The Air and Lee Daniels for Precious. Daniels would have been the first black director to have won this Oscar if his name had been in the envelope opened by Barbra Streisand (herself the first woman to win Best Director Golden Globe for Yentl in 1984), and we hope this happens soon, but this year is all Bigelow’s, and all yours! Read the full story
Feb 25, 2010 | No Comments | ByClare Callan
Whip It Roller Girls including Drew Barrymore
On Saturday 6th February myself and Julia (also of Birds Eye View) approached a sports centre in Tottenham Hale with our BYOB in our hands and the anticipation of the unknown ahead of us.
We were walking into our first roller derby.
By the time we left we were on a high, super-excited about The BEVFF Closing Night Gala – London Premiere of Whip It + live roller derby action from the London Roller Girls and the London Rockin Rollers!
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