100 Years of Irma Vep

Musidora as Irma Vep.
Musidora as Irma Vep.

In celebration of 100th anniversary of the film character Irma Vep, who first emerged in Les Vampires, a seven-hour silent film serial released in 1915, Film, Media, and Performing Arts Assistant Chair Michelle Handelman will present and collaborate on events and screenings throughout the city from October 22 through November 6, titled “100 Years of Irma Vep.” Handelman has been researching the life and work of the actress who played Irma Vep, Musidora, for the last five years. This program examines the cultural impact of Les Vampires and illuminates Musidora’s vast body of work, preserving a lost piece of feminist film history.

The October 27 event will be held on FIT’s campus, a lecture on women in silent film and the actress who played Irma Vep, Musidora. Follow the links below to the off-site locations or contact Michelle Handelman, 73352,  for more information.

Film Screenings: Les Vampires; Irma Vep; Irma Vep: The Last Breath
Thursday, October 22-Sunday, October 25
Anthology Film Archives, 32 Second Ave.
The Anthology Film Archives hosts a five-day tribute to Les Vampires that includes the original silent film in a newly restored print; Irma Vep, by Olivier Assayas; and Handelman’s Irma Vep: The Last Breath. For more information, visit anthologyfilmarchives.org.

Lecture: The Work of Musidora
Tuesday, October 27, 6:30 pm
Fashion Institute of Technology, Pomerantz Center, Room D207
Handelman and Kate Saccone, of the Women Film Pioneers Project at Columbia University, speak on women in silent film and Musidora’s position as one of the first actresses to become a feature film director as well as a writer, painter, novelist, and playwright. Co-sponsored by the Women Film Pioneers Project. For more information, contact Michelle Handelman, 73352.

Live Reading of Historical Texts  
Tuesday, November 3, 7:30 pm
Participant Inc., 253 E. Houston St. 
Handelman and invited guests will read text from Kathy Acker, William Burroughs and Colette’s letters to Musidora. Participant Inc. will provide limited-edition prints. For more information, visit participantinc.org.

Live Music and Film Mix
Friday, November 6, 8 pm
Microscope Gallery, 1329 Willoughby Ave., #2B, Brooklyn
Musician MV Carbon performs a haunting soundtrack to a live remix of films by Handelman and Brock Monroe. The remix includes clips from Les Vampires, Irma Vep fan art, and Musidora’s own films. For more information, visit microscopegallery.com.

 

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