Ciné-Concert : «La Passion de Jeanne d Arc»

"The pinnacle of silent cinema, and certainly of cinema itself." Already upon its release in 1928, Carl Theodor Dreyer's masterpiece The Passion of Joan of Arc was described as one of the greatest films ever made. The nearly 100 years that have passed since then has only confirmed this intuition.

Imagine going back nearly 600 years, to the height of the Hundred Years' War. In the gloomy royal chapel of the castle of Rouen, a young woman courageously faces an ecclesiastical tribunal which - she is under no illusion - has already decided to condemn her...

Based on the historical archives of the famous trial of 1431, the Danish director retraces the last days of La Pucelle d'Orléans, from her gaol to the scaffold, and delivers a portrait that is all the more poignant because it comes barely 8 years after her canonisation.

Although it became a silent film by "accident" (meaning: for lack of money!), Dreyer's masterpiece is no less eloquent. The din of voices, the clanking of chains, screams, threats and sentences: all can be heard in the silence. Striking close-ups capture the cruel sneer of Bishop Pierre Cauchon, and the burning gaze of Renée Falconetti, alias Jeanne, who with a shorn head is melting body and soul into her character. Through her incredible expressiveness, the actress even goes beyond the historical figure of Jeanne d’Arc to become the incarnation of all humanity suffering in the face of injustice.

With a rare level of spiritual and psychological intensity, this almost century-old film is a match for any contemporary biopics... To make the experience even more immersive, the singers of the British ensemble Orlando Consort will recreate the musical universe of Joan of Arc's time at the Philharmonie with a series of 16th century songs. Can you imagine a better soundtrack? See you on 26.04.2023 for a great moment of history and emotion.

Evening Program

Orlando Consort

Matthew Venner : countertenor

Mark Dobell, Angus Smith : tenor

Donald Greig : baritone

Jonathan Brown : basse

Film: La Passion de Jeanne d'Arc (1928)

Carl Theodor Dreyer: réalisation, scénario

Joseph Delteil: scénario

Musique de l'époque de Jeanne d'Arc

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