Spanish musician in town for Manila International Silent Filmfest

Instituto Cervantes will be adding a new dimension to the screening of silent films as it brings in renowned Spanish musician Ignacio Plaza to the sixth Manila International Silent Film Festival at the Shangri-la Plaza Cineplex on August 25, 3 p.m.

 

Plaza, who will be visiting the Philippines for the first time, will collaborate with the local OPM funk-jazz band, Sinosikat? Together they will play everything from improvised accompaniments to brand new scores during the screening of Alejandro Pérez Lugin and Manuel Noriega’s 1925 film “La casa de la Troya (The House of Troy)”, making for a unique experience for the audience to enjoy.

One of the most noted Spanish livescorers of silent cinema, Plaza has been regularly composing and performing at La Cinémathèque Française in Paris since 2008. Although a regular fixture in the French film industry, Plaza has also collaborated on works from his native Spain such as “Spanish Fly” and “Zapatos”. Plaza has also performs in several jazz bands and have collaborated with artists from all over Europe.

 

“La casa de la Troya” is 162 minutes long with English subtitles. This iconic film is a romantic comedy about a guy, Fernando, who is sent by his father from Madrid to the University of Santiago de Compostela, with the purpose of having him focus in finishing his degree in Law. There, Fernando ends up living in the "Casa de la Troya" boarding house, where he makes good friends with other students, and falls in love with the beautiful Carmiña Castro. But this love is not approved by her uncle and aunt, who prefer the foppish Octavio for her to whom they happen to owe a huge sum of money.

 

Now on its sixth edition, the Silent Film Festival is currently the only one of its kind in the entire Asian region. It features a strong line-up of iconic films from the silent era, hailing from Germany, Spain, Japan, Italy Philippines, and USA—which makes its debut in this year’s silent film anthology—all enhanced by live accompaniment care of some of the Philippines’ top solo artists and musical groups.

 

“La casa de la Troya” is presented by Instituto Cervantes as part of the 2012 International Silent Film Festival in partnership with Shangri-La Plaza, Shang Cineplex, Goethe Institut, The Japan Foundation Manila, Embassy of Italy, Embassy of the United States of America and the Film Development Council of the Philippines.

 

Admission to all the screenings is free on a first-come, first-served basis. For information, call 526-1482 or visit http://manila.cervantes.es.

 

Press release from Instituto Cervantes de Manila