Le Giornate del Cinema Muto - Pordenone Diary Day 5

 

 Diary for day five and it’s hard to believe we’re halfway through the week and we’re almost on the downside. Time is flying like a jet engine. My day five was a shortened day because I opted to not attend Miss Lulu Bett, having previously had the pleasure of seeing this lovely film on the big screen three times before. I was tempted because, hubba, Milton Sills. Instead I decided it was a good time to run errands like restocking bottled water going to the local open air market and just walking around the town a little bit. Good thing one of my purchases was an umbrella because of course it was raining.

No, just no

The next film, even with Myrna Loy, there was no way in hell I was going to plant myself in a seat and sit through Ham and Eggs at the Front (1927).  I worship Myrna on screen and off, but, no. Myrna herself had nothing good to say on this film. I was told afterwards by many sources, virtually everyone I spoke to, that this film was unbearably racist and simply awful. Naturally when you have three actors all white each in black face, how can it not be racist and horrible? Everyone I spoke to agreed that my spider sense was spot on and I did the wise thing in voluntarily missing this program. Instead I had a lovely lunch with a friend from the US and that was time better spent.

My first film of the day was a new restoration of documentary footage from WWI La Bataglia Dall’Astico Al Piave (1918). The film presented footage shot by the Italian army showing many guns being fired, some distant explosions, planes flying, balloon observations and sadly corpses of the Austria-Hungarian troops as well as Italian troops. There was also footage at the end of soldiers being awarded medal for their valiant efforts and bravery. When I see footage of any of the soldiers from this era I always feel very sad that there are no survivors anymore to bear witness to the horrors of the first world war. I know that many, many left their stories as a record of this violent conflict. That said, so many and likely all of the soldiers seen in this film left no record of their time during the battles. So in this way, this documentary footage leaves a record  and gives them a small voice and a place in history for which we can thank them for their sacrifice. This film was accompanied memorably by one of my favorite festival teams Stephen Horne and Frank Bockius.

Erotikon

Next for the evening film was one I had been most looking forward to, Erotikon (1928) from Czechoslovakia starring the luminous Ita Rina. She having been seen in Tonka of the Gallows in a searing portrait of a lady of the night who did a kind thing and paid for it tragically. Erotikon was another opportunity to see this beautiful woman act without seeing her act. Rena has a face that is transparent where you can see the emotions flicker and flow seamlessly and so emotionally. She was a tremendous actress and one who was so poignant. In this film heavily while she is wronged, there is a sadder, yet wiser, ending. I was relieved that her character did not end up under the wheels of the train. Instead, that train was the final sexual metaphor.  The film was accompanied with a brand new score. It was a beautiful score written by and conducted by Andrej Goricar. Played beautifully by Orchestra of the Imaginary. It was a great way to end the night, or so I thought.

Just before the film I enjoyed a zucco (pumpkin) gelato with bits of candied ginger and ginger syrup. Afterwards, it was across the street to the Bar Posta for cocktails with friends from Le Giornate, Bristol, Germany. In my haste, I missed the small step entering the bar and tripped face planting on the marble floor. Completely ruining any hint of sophistication I might pretend to have. My dear friend from Bristol assisted me up off the floor. Happily, none the worse for wear, no scars but for a nice bruise on my knee. Not to mention my ego. Ugh, leave it to me to fall flat *entering* a bar, rather than stumbling out of one. The G&T was delicious.