The Italian Cultural Institute of Melbourne is celebrating the golden age of Italian silent films with the “Silent Divas” film concert programme. Italian silent film classics will be screened against a background of electronic soundtracks composed and played live by Melbourne musicians.
The screenings will start at the Astor Theatre on Sunday 27 August with the screening of “Assunta Spina”. The film (1915, director Gustavo Serena), which is based on a 1909 play by Salvatore Di Giacomo, is one of the most famous Italian silent films, starring and co-directed by Francesca Bertini, an actress acclaimed in Italy and abroad. Musical accompaniment will be curated by drummer, composer and producer Maria Moles.
Between melodrama, romanticism and tragedy, “Assunta Spina” gives the viewer a glimpse of the Naples of the time, a city that becomes an integral part of the plot thanks to its uniqueness.
