“Everybody goes around with their phones. Most of us end up with our own silent films. This genre, for me, is very much mainstream.”
Thus said Martin Macalintal, audiovisual attaché from the French Embassy in the Philippines, on whether or not silent films are still capable of making a comeback or becoming part of the mainstream consciousness in the age of digital technology.
“The difference now is where you watch the content—either on your phone or on a widescreen,” explained Macalintal during a media gathering to launch the 15th edition of the International Silent Film Festival Manila (ISFFM), which is ongoing until Dec. 3.
The ISFFM will feature six classic silent films from France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Spain and the United Kingdom, as well as nine locally produced short films, all accompanied by original musical scores from local bands and musicians.
The 15th edition is presented by the Japan Foundation, Manila; the Embassy of Italy with the Philippine Italian Association; Instituto Cervantes; British Council in the Philippines; Goethe-Institut Philippinen; the Embassy of France; and the Film Development Council of the Philippines (FDCP). The program is screened online via the FDCP channel (fdcpchannel.ph/isffm2021).
This year’s theme is “reimagining the past with the present,” reported FDCP chair Liza Diño.
“We want to make sure that silent films will not only make a comeback, but will also remain part of world cinema,” she pointed out. (©Philippine Daily Inquirer 2021)
