Silent Films with Live Orchestra to be Shown at MAMI Film Festival

Two silent movies will be screened accompanied by a live orchestra at the 14th Mumbai Film Festival, staring October 18.

The annual festival hosted by Mumbai Academy of the Moving Images (MAMI) will showcase over 200 movies, including nine silent films.

"The way it used to be shown 100 year ago... with live music," MAMI Chairman Shyam Benegal told IANS.

"That is how we are going to celebrate the 100 years of Indian cinema. Because that is the experience that nobody has now known or even has the memory of it because none of those people are living. So that will give you an idea of early Indian cinema was like. The silent era will be back," He added.

Nine of India's surviving silent films have been restored for the festival. The two that will be screened during the eight-day festival are "Shiraz" (1929) and "Throw Of Dice" (1929), directed by German filmmaker Franz Osten. The other films to be played include Dhundiraj Govind Phalke's "Kaliya Mardan" (1919) and PV Rao's "Marthanda Varma" (1933).

The festival will also highlight the Italian films through a special selection of "Celebration of Italian Cinema." Italian films from 1911 to 2010, including "Maciste" (1915), "Inferno" (1911), will be screened during the event.