Iceland Fishermen 
 

PostED ON 19.10.2024

Gaud, a young Breton woman, is deeply in love with Yann, a fisherman whose destiny leads him to spend long periods on the treacherous seas.

Iceland Fishermen by Jacques de Baroncelli (1924) © DR

Will their love endure? Iceland Fishermen, adapted from the now classic novel by Pierre Loti, filmed by Jacques de Baroncelli, is a divinely tender film. The fact that it was shot in the silent era enhances the beauty of the facial and bodily expressions of the two young stars, who have only images, not speech, to express their love. In the role of Yann, the young fisherman from Iceland, actor Charles Vanel is formidably evocatory. His fists clenched tightly against his body, he is never emphatic, revealing a sensual timidity that is convincing. For the remarkable scene of the wedding night,  de Baroncelli, highly inspired, uses Vanel’s presence, virile but non- aggressive, interspersing multiple shots of the sea, superimposed transparencies of images, and candlelight play... Unforgettable. Now restored, this film possesses the ideal lyrical poetry to be accompanied by an improvisation performed by Grégoire Rolland on the Auditorium's Cavaillé-Coll organ. 

Virginie Apiou

Silent film-concert

Iceland Fishermen by Jacques de Baroncelli (Pêcheur d’Islande, 1924)
Accompanied on the organ
An improvisation by Grégoire Rolland and the Auditorium's monumental Cavaillé-Coll organ will accompany the magnificent restoration of Jacques de Baroncelli's Iceland Fishermen.
FC Auditorium Sat. 19 at 11.00 am