Somme 100 Silent Film Screening in St Anne’s Cathedral
Throughout the autumn of 1916, 20 million people flocked to see a silent film, The Battle of the Somme. This was nearly half the population of Britain at the time. The film remains one of the most watched in British cinema history – even bigger than Star Wars.
For a special commemorative screening on 15 September, Belfast Film Festival will be showing the film as a large–scale projection in St Anne’s Cathedral where there are several war memorials for those who served in and survived World War I.
Somme100 FILM is an international project to mark the 100th anniversary of the Battle of the Somme. Composer Laura Rossi’s acclaimed score, commissioned by the Imperial War Museum, has been added to the film.
Smiling awkwardly at the new–fangled cameras, troops move towards the Front in the Great War. Their actions are far removed from the swagger and march of war films, but then this is real. The Battle of the Somme was different from the newsreels of the day. It took footage of actual events and turned it into a main feature with mass appeal.
The film gave its 1916 audience an unprecedented insight into the realities of trench warfare, controversially including the depiction of dead and wounded soldiers. It shows scenes of the build–up to the infantry offensive including the massive preliminary bombardment, coverage of the first day of the battle (the bloodiest single day in Britain’s military history) and depictions of the small gains and massive costs of the attack.
The film was distributed world–wide to demonstrate to allies and neutrals Britain’s commitment to the First World War, and is the source of many of that conflict’s most iconic images. It was made by British official cinematographers Geoffrey Malins and John McDowell. Though it was not intended as a feature film, once the volume and quality of their footage had been seen in London, the British Topical Committee for War Films decided to compile a full–length film.
Belfast Film Festival director Michele Devlin said:
“We are thrilled to be taking part in this UK–wide commemoration of the battle of the Somme’s centenary. Cinema was at the height of its popularity in 1916, but The Battle of the Somme very much pushed the boundaries of silent film at that time. St. Anne’s will provide a poignant backdrop to our screening, and I’m particularly looking forward to hearing the film’s acclaimed score reverberating around the cathedral.”
The Battle of the Somme screens at St. Anne’s Cathedral on Thursday 15 September at 7.30 pm.
Tickets priced £7 can be booked online at www.belfastfilmfestival.org, by phoning 028 9024 6609 or in person at Visit Belfast Welcome Centre in Donegall Square North.