III. Criminal Desire
Christel Tsilibaris’s film talk ‘Silent Film’s Thieves, Jewel Robberies and Cases of the Lost Glove’, Karel Lamac’s The Kidnapping of Mr Fux the Banker (with a cameo by the couturier Paul Poiret), Joe May’s Asphalt, Graham Cutts’ The Rat (featuring Ivor Novello) and Frank Borzage’s Desire (with Marlene Dietrich).
The Red Shoes (분홍신)
Wednesday 14 May, 20:45 | ICA Cinema | Duration: 109'Korean director Kim Yong-gyun delivers a gripping and darkly haunting horror film in his 2005 adaptation of the 1948 Michael Powel and Emeric Pressburger classic of the same title, inspired by Hans Christian Andersen’s fairy tale.
London premiere.
Desire
Saturday 17 May, 20:30 | Ciné Lumière | Duration: 95'Dietrich’s foxy siren Madeleine makes for a supremely aristocratic crook in this Hollywood story set in France and Spain. Reminiscent of the 1932 comedy Trouble in Paradise by Ernst Lubitsch, who also co-produced this film, Desire is a witty comedy applauding Madeleine’s lusting for a precious commodity.
Silent Film’s Thieves, Jewel Robberies and Cases of the Lost Glove
Sunday 18 May, 17:00 | Ciné Lumière Thefts, disguises, investigations, chases and returns to order play an important part in silent film and film serials. This programme promises private detectives, gangs of thieves, and a mondain conman successfully removing a necklace from a wealthy society woman.
Introduced by Christel Tsilibaris, festival’s Associate Curator and an independent curator specialising in the film and media arts. With live musical accompaniment.
The Rat
Saturday 24 May, 17:45 | BFI Southbank | Duration: 74'Ivor Novello plays Pierre Boucheron, “the Rat,” in this tale of the Paris underworld. A jewel thief who commands the allegiance of the denizens of the White Coffin Club, he meets his match in Zelie de Chaumet, the dazzling demi-mondaine who is also accustomed to dog-like obedience.
Guest-curated by Bryony Dixon; event concept by Rhidian Davis, Claire Geddie and The Willow Partnership.
Asphalt (Der Polizeiwachtmeister und die Diamantenelse)
Sunday 25 May, 15:30 | BFI Southbank | Duration: 94'A pre-talkie release, Asphalt is a stunning gem of expressionist cinema, and a prime example of German “Strassenfilm”. It’s shadowy scenes, the overt eroticism of the fatal woman and diamond thief Else, and the plot itself, in which an orderly traffic cop is caught in the web of crime and uncontrollable passion, all prefigure film noir.
With live piano accompaniment.
The Kidnapping of Fux Banker (Únos bankére Fuxe)
Sunday 25 May, 18:20 | BFI Southbank | Duration: 52'Made during the time of Czech cinema’s deepening crisis, the country’s film industry had big expectations from this American-style comedy, which did prove an instant box office hit. Depicting a wicked fantasy of a luxurious middle-class lifestyle, The Kidnapping has an excellent cast including Karel Lamac and Anny Ondra, and also features a unique cameo appearance by the fêted Parisian couturier Paul Poiret.
Introduced by Marketa Uhlirova, Fashion in Film Festival’s Director and Curator. With new musical accompaniment by DJ Charles Kriel and “funny face”.
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