Summary
Censored by the US, Europe's greatest early film star played leading roles in love triangle melodramas, comedies, stories of women trapped by tragic circumstances, and she took the role of Hamlet: Asta Nielsen (11 September 1881 – 24 May 1972) is the focus of a BFI season in February and March. To discuss the life and work of the silent movie pioneer, Matthew Sweet is joined by:
Historian and film critic Pamela Hutchinson, curator of the BFI season; Emma Smith, Professor of Shakespeare Studies at the University of Oxford; Dr Erica Carter, Professor of German and Film at King's College London, who looks at Nielsen’s time in Germany in the 20s and 30s; and Lone Britt Christensen, Denmark’s Cultural Attaché.
In the Eyes of a Silent Star: The Films of Asta Nielsen runs at the BFI Southbank, London from 03 February to 15 March 2022: www.bfi.org.uk/whatson
Emma Smith is the author of This is Shakespeare: How to Read the World's Greatest Playwright
Erica Carter is co-editor of The German Cinema Book
In the Free Thinking archives you can find a series of programmes exploring silent film, star actors including Jean-Paul Belmondo, Marlene Dietrich, Dirk Bogarde, and classics of cinema around the world.
Producer: Tim Bano
Image: Asta Nielsen in Black Dreams. Image credit: BFI Southbank.
Transcript
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| 0:10.6 | The roof is buckling. |
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| 0:14.2 | It's right foot goes for goal. |
| 0:16.7 | And then enjoy even more podcasts full of analysis and reaction to the big stories. |
| 0:21.7 | The stat that is astonishing is they ended with the lowest amount of possession. |
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| 0:29.7 | Listen on BBC Sounds. |
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| 0:35.8 | BBC Sounds, music, Radio, Podcasts. |
| 0:39.8 | I'm Matthew Sweet and I'm just getting ready to offer a prayer to Astorneelson, |
| 0:44.3 | the Danish silent film star. |
| 0:46.4 | Why is the Arts and Ideas podcast promoting this idolatrous activity? |
| 0:50.5 | Find out after this message. |
| 0:52.9 | Hiya, I'm Linton Stevens. I just wanted to tell you about the classical fixed podcast. It's a great way to discover classical music. I mean, it's kind of something you just know exists. I was never really like a avid listener. I'm sort of impressively illiterate. Each week, I mix my guest a playlist. They take a listen in their own time, then we get together and they tell me honestly what they thought. It can be a mixed bag. I loved it. Slightly tedious. There's some serious stuff going on in there. I'm a big fan. Get your classical fix now on BBC Sounds by searching for classical fix. |
| 1:28.6 | In modern cinema, I think it's pretty hard to be forgotten. |
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