Early Cinematic Works by Segundo de Chomón
Born in Teruel in 1871, Segundo de Chomón was one of the first special effect magicians, along with Georges Méliès and Gaston Velle. But while Méliès and Velle actually came to film from the realm of magic, de Chomón initially worked as a documentary filmmaker in Barcelona before moving to Paris and joining the Pathé brothers as a specialist in animation and transformation scenes. In 1913, as the era of the féeries was coming to an end, he moved on to Italy and successfully continued his career, creating special effects for landmarks of silent cinema such as CABIRIA. Segundo de Chomón died in Paris in 1929.
In collaboration with the Filmoteca de Catalunya, we’re very pleased to present a selection of largely restored films, which this early master directed or collaborated on.
Live music: Susanna Gartmayer (bass clarinet)
Introduction: Rosa Cardona Arnau (Filmoteca de Catalunya)