Chaplin’s Tramp Crosses Borders

In October, The Boot Cake screened at Astra Film Festival in Romania. One of Europe’s most highly regarded documentary festivals, Astra began in 1993 as a festival devoted to ethnographic films and broadened its focus to creative documentary.  In 2014, the centenary of  the debut of Chaplin’s Tramp character on screen, Astra programmed three films in a special Chaplin-themed section.  I love their graphic above.  Astra screened  two of Chaplin’s short films The Fireman (1916) and Easy Street (1917).  And, to our great honour, The Boot Cake.  

 

Charlot 100 Cineteca di Bologna

In June, I participated in the Charlot 100 conference/festival at Cineteca di Bologna which celebrated one hundred years of Chaplin’s iconic character The Tramp. It was an inspiring event with a wealth of screenings, speakers and talks. The picture above shows the audience entering into the spirit of Chaplinitis at a special open screening of KID AUTO RACES AT VENICE (USA/1914), A NIGHT AT THE SHOW (USA/1915),THE IMMIGRANT (USA/1917) SHOULDER ARMS (USA/1918). The films were accompanied by the Orchestra of Teatro Comunale di Bologna conducted by Timothy Brock. I’m up the front somewhere… Other highlights included a launch of David Robinson’s wonderful new book which tells the story of Chaplin’s novella Footlights, a prequel to the film Limelight.

I screened my film The Boot Cake about another birthday party for Chaplin, held by the Charlie Circle in Adipur, India. And presented some of my research on Chaplin imitators around the globe.