UCCA Beijing

UCCA Art Film Screening Series
Silent Film With Live Piano Accompaniment by Gerhard Gruber: The Moon of Israel (1924)

2017.11.3
19:30-21:00

影像艺术交流
Location:  Auditorium

In collaboration with the Austrian Embassy’s Cultural Forum in Beijing, the Ullens Center for Contemporary Art (UCCA) will host a special screening of the classic silent film The Moon of Israel in the UCCA Auditorium on the evening of November 3, 2017. The screening will be accompanied by a live performance by acclaimed silent film pianist and composer Gerhard Gruber, making the event the first of its kind at UCCA.

A silent film is a film with no synchronized recorded sound, including spoken dialogue. The silent film era lasted from 1895 to 1936. During silent film screenings, a pianist, theater organist, or in large cities, even a small orchestra would often play music to accompany the film.

Ticketing:

40 RMB/Adult

20 RMB/UCCA Member

Note:

*Enjoy UCCA Member ticket prices with the purchase of a yearly membership card (RMB 300);

*Collect your ticket from reception 30 minutes before the event begins;

*Please no late entry;

*Seating is limited, and tickets must be collected individually;

*Please keep mobile devices on silent.

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Ticketing QR Code

Scan the QR code below to purchase your ticket.

180 以色列 影展

About the Film

The Moon of Israel

Director: Michael Curtiz

Starring: Maria Corda

Category: Epic

Country: Austria

Runtime: 103 min

Language: Silent

The Moon of Israel is a 1924 Austrian epic film directed by Michael Curtiz. The story is based on H. Rider Haggard's novel Moon of Israel, which in turn was inspired by the biblical tale of the Exodus. Around the year 1230 BCE, the Israelites are enslaved by the Egyptians. During this time of turmoil, the Jewish slave-girl Merapi falls in love with Prince Seti, son of the Pharaoh Menapta. Their romance violates class boundaries, thus causing chaos to ensue. At the end of the film, Moses* leads his people through the Red Sea to freedom.

*Note: Moses is a prophet in the Abrahamic religions. According to the Hebrew Bible, he was adopted by an Egyptian princess, and later in life became the leader of the Israelites, to whom the authorship of the Torah, or acquisition of the Torah from Heaven is traditionally attributed. He is the most important prophet in Judaism. He is also an important prophet in Christianity, Islam, the Bahá'í Faith, and a number of other Abrahamic religions.

Guest

Gerhard Gruber (Composer, pianist)

Gerhard Gruber is an Austrian composer and pianist who has been the leading authority of piano accompaniment for films in Austria since 1988. Gruber prefers to improvise his work in order to foster new dialogue between the events on screen, the music, and the audience, and thus make each performance unique. He attempts to convey to the audience the process of being drawn back into the film during each performance.

Gerhard Gruber: “For me the feeling of being amidst the events of a film story has been indescribably exciting from the first moment and is unchanged until today. This guarantees the liveliness and vibrancy of each performance. It is always the unity of film, music, and audience. Thus each presentation is able to be a special experience.”

Collaborator

Cultural Forum of the Austrian Embassy Beijing

Projection Support

BARCO