March 2008

Widely recognized as the source of the Frankenstein story, the ancient Hebrew legend of the Golem provided actor/director Paul Wegener with the substance for one of the most adventurous films of the German silent cinema. This landmark 1920 film will be presented with a brand new score, commissioned by Brooklyn Center and composed and performed live by the innovative chamber ensemble, The BQE Project.

This restored, definitive version was assembled from a variety of sources from Moscow to Germany by Kino International, renown for their dedication to preserving and making cinematic history available to the movie-loving public.

Of course the term "silent film" is in itself a misnomer, which in the modern mind mistakenly conjures up people sitting in front of a screen in deathly silence, staring at a flickering image in silence. If fact, other than the earliest Edison Nickelodeons where a penny bought a furtive peek at a moving image for a minute or two, even the earliest movies were always accompanied by anything from a simply piano to a full orchestra -- sound effects included. Sound was so essential to these "silent" films before "the Talkies" that the need for sound gave rise to the invention of an instrument that could easily mimic a full orchestra and produce all manner of sound effects as well. Sitting at the mighty Wurlitzer Theatre Organ to the side of the movie screens, a musician could accompany the blockbuster hits of the day, taking advantage of the constantly improving sound effects stops that were added to the organ's registry, such as bells, whistles, clangs, and all manner of percussive instruments! One musician could sound as big and as synchronized to the film action as the theatres that were affluent enough to afford a full orchestra. Anyone who went to the movies during the days of the "non-talkies" would certainly be puzzled at the term "silent movie."

For our engagement of THE GOLEM, we are most fortunate to not only have a score that befits the mood and feel of the screen images, but one composed especially for this title, commissioned by Brooklyn Center for this very special engagement.

Tom Nazziola and the BQE Project have become specialists par excellance in the art of performing film accompaniment. Garnering accolades from both the music and the film critics and with a growing number of compositions and films in their repetiore, this immensely talented group has performed all over the East Coast, wowing audiences with restored compositions from the likes of Charles Chaplin that were written at the time for the early films (such as Chaplin's own score for his CITY LIGHTS) as well as original works that Tom composed specifically for other "silent" films.

The score for THE GOLEM has taken nearly two years to complete and the final results will astound. Not only does the music sync so closely to the film imagery that one could believe it was a soundtrack on the film itself, but the melodic themes and the powerful moods that Nazziola is able to create, even within the very constricted confines of the timing and movement of the existing imagery, are just mesmerizing.

THE GOLEM with an original score composed by Tom Nazziola and performed live by Brooklyn's own BQE Project -- a not-to-be-missed CinEvent at Brooklyn Center Cinema. Tickets on sale now.

Meet the Artists
A Q&A session will he held after the screening. Get to meet the members of the BQE Project and the composer of the score for THE GOLEM, Tom Nazziola.

Tickets on sale now. $20 General Admission
Students, Faculty and Staff Discounts Available