One evening in 1969 Serge Bromberg’s father arrived home with a present that would forever shape and
influence his son’s life. He carried with him a Super-8 projector and a reel of film containing
Charlie Chaplin’s classic A Night in the Show from 1915. Ever since Serge has had an intense passion
for the silent era, inspiring him to start his company Lobster Films after finding a treasure-trove
of old film in a dusty antique cabinet. Among the reels contained were ninety-eight films made prior
to 1905, and among them seventeen films by Georges Méliès, previously thought to have been lost
forever.
His latest project involved analysing over one-hundred and ten feet of film, resulting in the
restoration of thirty-two Buster Keaton films. Each frame scanned, digitised and manually restored,
not to mention the composition of twenty-one new scores to accompany Keaton’s films.
Bromberg’s presentation of five of these films is not only an exhibition of Keaton’s work, but also
an insightful and humourous seminar from an expert on the silent-era.
Bromberg’s infectious wit and enthusiastic storytelling provides a backdrop to these historic films from
the master of physical comedy. Bromberg’s piano compositions add an additional layer of authenticity
to the sparkle and magic of Keaton’s silent films. Allow yourself to be transported back to the
golden age of silent-film, when actions spoke louder than words and timing and choreography meant everything.
The five films screened will include Day Dreams and Cops, both from 1922, as well as the
hilarious One Week made in 1920.
With the support of the Embassy of France in Ireland
WORK IN PROGRESS KEATON (Bromberg masterclass) 10 minutes
Day Dreams / 1922 / 24'47 minutes
Buster sends letters to a made-up loved one, but in reality, he spends his life working small
pathetic jobs.
WORK IN PROGRESS KEATON (Bromberg masterclass) 10 minutes
Cops / 1922 / 18'38 minutes
Following an unfortunate mistake, Buster finds himself being chased by hundreds of cops.
One Week / 1920 / 22'17 minutes
A young couple is offered a self-assembled house. All they have to do is raise it up. It would be
easier if an enemy had not mixed up the numbers of the boxes.