Sublime moments of silent film
To pay tribute to the beauty and grandeur of silent cinema, the Lumière festival offers films from these early decades of cinema, which shaped an art and invented a language. The flicks are presented in film-concerts at the Auditorium (with the National Orchestra of Lyon or accompanied on the organ), or screened at the Lumière Institute theatre, complemented by piano improvisations or new musical compositions. This year, come discover a fine selection, including the exceptional film-concert, Casanova by Alexandre Volkoff, the 12-episode series Judex, directed in 1917 by Louis Feuillade and the Max Linder event, the restored version of King of the Circus.
Two film-concerts at the Auditorium of Lyon
Alexandre Volkoff's Casanova, a great adventure film adapted from the life of the infamous seducer, played by Ivan Mosjoukine, restored by the Cinémathèque française: a grandiose work accompanied by the National Orchestra of Lyon, conducted by Günter Buchwald.
Casanova by Alexandre Volkoff (1927, 2h39)
Casanova flees a life of debauchery to join the Russian court. He becomes a confidant of the Tsarina, but his taste for women soon leads to his downfall... A dazzling saga with sumptuous sets and the star of the era: Ivan Mozzhukhin, also known as Ivan Mosjoukine.
Auditorium Wed 13 8pm
With the support of 
The Auditorium's monumental Cavaillé-Coll organ (82 stops and 6,500 pipes) will heighten the experience of Eisenstein's first picture, a timeless stroke of genius in the heritage of Soviet film. Featuring an improvisation by Samuel Liégeon.
Strike by Sergei M. Eisenstein (Stachka, 1925, 1h34)
1912, in a factory in tsarist Russia, working conditions and wages are miserable. A revolt is rumbling among the workers... Eisenstein's first picture, a timeless stroke of genius in the tradition of Russian heritage film.
Auditorium Sun 17 11am
Film-concerts and silent films
The Three Musketeers by Fred Niblo (1921, 2h16)
Douglas Fairbanks dons the costume of the famous d'Artagnan for one of the first screen adaptations of the novel. With its grandiose sets and gorgeous costumes, this cloak-and-dagger film was acclaimed by the public and critics of the day.
FC Institut Lumière Tue 12 10:30am
The Divine Voyge / La Divine croisière by Julien Duvivier (La Divine croisière, 1929, 1h36)
A shipowner feared by the sailors forces Captain Saint-Ermont to board a ship in poor condition. A mutiny breaks out... A striking film, with an aesthetic inspired by Soviet cinema and sumptuous staging, by the director of Pépé le Moko.
Pathé Bellecour Thu 14 6:45pm | Villa Lumière Fri 15 11:15am
Villa Falconer by Richard Oswald and Giulio Antamoro (Villa Falconieri, 1928, 1h34)
The poet Campana rents the Villa Falconer to a couple whose husband gambles, is in deep debt, and beats his wife. The visit by an actress, in love with Campana, unleashes jealousy and rivalry... A drama about crossed lovers: a silent film worth discovering!
Villa Lumière Tue 12 9:15am | FC Institut Lumière Wed 13 11am
Max Linder
The Lumière Institute, designated legatee of the Max and Maud Linder fund, is pleased to announce the creation of an endowment fund in 2021, ‘The Linder Project’.
King of the Circus by Max Linder and Édouard-Émile Violet (Le Roi du cirque, 1924, 50 min)
A young, lazy partygoing Count falls in love with an acrobat. To seduce her, he becomes a circus performer... Met with great popular acclaim, King of the Circus was the last film of the most famous actor of burlesque, Max Linder.
FC Institut Lumière Thu 14 11:30am
Judex, the invention of the serial
Judex by Louis Feuillade
A mysterious avenger, Judex (René Cresté), takes on the banker Favraux (Louis Leubas), who has built his fortune through disgraceful methods. The first true French series, it was a phenomenal success with the public at the end of the 1910s, far ahead of its time!
Prologue, episodes 1 & 2 (1917, 1h32)
Pathé Bellecour Mon 11 2pm
Episodes 3, 4 & 5 (1917, 1h47)
Pathé Bellecour Tue 12 2:30pm
Episodes 6, 7 & 8 (1917, 1h35)
Pathé Bellecour Wed 13 2:30pm
Episodes 9, 10, 11 & 12 (1917, 1h29)
Pathé Bellecour Thu 14 2pm
