"The Art of Silence": Cinema release on 5 May 2022
"The Art of Silence" opens in cinemas nationwide on 5 May. With his facial expressions and only a few gestures, he expressed more hope, joy or pain than many a Greek drama. A grand master of pantomime, Marcel Marceau portrayed the awkwardness of human beings and conveyed the unspeakable through "cries of silence". In his documentary, director Maurizius Staerkle Drux traces the legacy of this artist of the century, interweaving exclusive archive footage with a personal, contemporary view.
FILM CONTENT
As the tragicomic clown "Bip", the famous mime Marcel Marceau still inspires people all over the world. Iconic: the white striped shirt, the face made up in white and the battered silk hat with the red flower. The tragic background of his art, however, remained hidden for a long time. His Jewish father was murdered in Auschwitz, whereupon Marceau joined the Résistance. With his cousin Georges Loinger, he smuggled Jewish children across the border into Switzerland. Using gestures and mimes, he taught them not to speak in dangerous situations. Silence meant survival. Influenced by silent film greats like Buster Keaton and Charlie Chaplin, he created a unique art form out of it after the war, which his heirs continue today.