Marking the 108th anniversary of the Duke of York’s and the 90th anniversary of Carl Theodor Dreyer’s powerful masterwork The Passion of Joan of Arc, Scalarama and the Duke’s are presenting this seminal silent film from a rare 35mm print with a new and original live score performed by Heliopause and This Ship Argo.
This landmark of cinema, made in 1928, depicts one of history’s most captivating women, played by Renée Jeanne Falconetti in her only film role, but one that has gone down the annals of cinema as one of the most astonishing performances ever committed to film. Receiving visions as a teenage peasant girl, Joan of Arc managed to convince the King of France to let her lead his armies in order to drive the English from France. After several successful battles, she was subsequently captured, held to trial and burnt at the stake, only aged 19. The French film focuses on the transcripts of her trial in 1431 as the French clerical court tried to discredit her claim that she was sent on the mission by God.
The film will be accompanied by a new original live score by musicians Heliopause & This Ship Argo, using layered vocal loops and electronica to emphasise the film’s unusual cinematography and portrayal of Joan’s emotional state of mind.
