Grass: A Nation’s Battle for Life
Screening of the silent masterpiece Grass (1925) with live music by Peyman Yazdanian.
An exclusive evening celebrating the centenary of the silent cinema classic ‘Grass: A Nation’s Battle for Life’ (1925), to be screened in a brand-new restoration courtesy of the Museum of Modern Art in New York, at Kings Place in London on September 19th, accompanied by a mesmerizing live performance by acclaimed Iranian composer Peyman Yazdanian.
Grass, one of the canonical greats of the silent era by the directorial team of Merian C. Cooper and Ernest B. Schoedsack—today mostly remembered for their iconic sound-era cult film King Kong, is a documentary about the heroic annual migration of the nomadic Bakhtiari tribes of Iran. It is an epic film, as the restless filmmakers identify with the people they follow, transforming their journey into some of the grandest vistas of silent cinema ever captured on film. It remains to this day a cornerstone of ethnographic cinema and a vital record of a disappearing way of life.
The film will be accompanied by Peyman Yazdanian, an Iranian pianist and composer renowned for his film scores and contemporary classical works. His music, blending Western and Persian influences, has been featured in the soundtracks of films by Abbas Kiarostami and Asghar Farhadi. For this screening, he will be joined by Adib Rostami on kamancheh and tonbak, adding a rich musical dimension to the experience, reimagining Grass for a modern audience.
The screening will be introduced by film historian and curator Ehsan Khoshbakht, who will share fascinating stories behind the making of this classic.
This event will last approximately 75 minutes without an interval. It is suitable for ages 12+.
Venue details
- Address:
- Kings Place
- 90 York Way
- London
- N1 9AG