Early Bible Film Screenings

UCL is hosting a second day's worth of silent historical films. The Ancient World in Silent Cinema will take place at London's Bloomsbury Theatre on Monday 22nd June and is free to anyone interested in attending. The first such event featured films set in ancient Greece & Rome; here the focus switches to Biblical and Egyptian films. In addition to screening 19 silent films, several of which I hadn't actually of, there are also 3 talks from David Mayer (Manchester University), Margaret Malamud (State University of New Mexico), and Judith Buchanan (York University). The full timetable is as follows:

AFTERNOON SCREENINGS (2-4PM):
Wanted a Mummy (UK 1910) 4 mins
Sposa del Nilo/ The Bride of the Nile (IT 1911) 11 mins
Vergine di Babilonia / The Virgin of Babylon (IT 1910) 9 mins
Caïn et Abel / Cain and Abel (FR 1911) 5 mins
Sacra Bibbia / The Sacred Bible (IT 1920), episode of ‘The Story of Joseph in Egypt’ 9 mins.
Moïse sauvé des eaux / Moses Saved from the River (Fr 1910) 8 mins
L’exode (FR 1910) 13 mins
La vie de Moïse (FR 1910) interspersed with Life of Moses (US 1909-10) 13 mins
Jephthah’s Daughter (US 1909) 6 mins
Jephthah’s Daughter (US 1913) 25 mins

TEA/COFFEE BREAK (4-4.30PM)

SPEAKERS (4.30-6PM)
David Mayer, Margaret Malamud and Judith Buchanan

EVENING SCREENINGS (7-9PM):
Samson et Dalila (FR 1902) 3 mins
Samson (FR 1908) 11 mins
David et Goliath (FR 1910) 8 mins
Reine de Saba / Queen of Sheba (FR 1913) 19 mins
Giuditta e Oloferne (IT 1908) 6 mins
Judith (FR 1910) 8 mins
Aveugle de Jérusalem / The Blind Man of Jerusalem (FR 1909) 8 mins
Vie de Jesus (FR 1905-14) 8 mins, episodes from childhood to transfiguration
Vie de Jesus (FR 1905-14) 18 mins, episodes from annunciation to ascension

I've got my train tickets booked for the event, and I know of at least one visitor to this blog who is also going. If anyone else decides to attend, please do come and say hello.

I've spoken to the event's organiser and though it's not possible to book tickets, they are fairlky confident that the 500 seat theatre will not sell out. I was also told that whilst the talks are informal and, thus, without specific titles, Mayer will be speaking about the films' relationships with other 19th century art forms, Malamud will be covering ancient Egypt and its reception more broadly at the beginning of the 20th century, and Buchanan will talk on the Jesus and Judith films.

Those of you that would love to join us, but sadly live on the other side of the world, will be pleased to know that the The Ancient World in Silent Cinema Research Project (of which this event is a part) is hoping to secure funding to digitise these films and eventually release a DVD, though this is still a very long way off.