We mark 100 years since silent cinema reached its extraordinary peak as an international art form – distinct and different from the sound cinema that dominated screens from the 1930s, and, in some respects, superior.
This season, entitled MASTERWORKS OF SILENT CINEMA, 1924–1926: Classics & Rediscoveries celebrates both acknowledged masterpieces and bold rediscoveries from across the world, offering a rich cross-section of styles, from realism and psychological drama to avant-garde experimentation.
A black comedy about starvation, cannibalism and existential crisis? In Chaplin's hands – miraculous, delicate, unforgettable. You will see how The Gold Rush inspired Samuel Beckett's Waiting for Godot, and why Chaplin was once declared the greatest ballet dancer in the world.
Introduction by Chaplin scholars David Francis and Dr. Joss will reveal little-known sources and insider information about this apparently simple but, in reality, extraordinarily complex, personal and historically sensitive film.
📽️ Doors open 5.30, for drinks & nibbles. Films start 6.30 with a brief introduction from the curators.
📽️ Entry is free with a yearly ticket, although we suggest a small donation of £5 per head to help us keep the lights on! Yearly tickets giving full access to the museum can be purchased on the door (£7.50 adult / £6.00 concessions).
📽️ If you buy tickets and are subsequently unable to attend, please let us know as soon as possible so that we can give your seat(s) to someone else.