The Doha Film Institute Cinema (DFI Cinema) will launch a new thematic series, A Symphony of Films, in September.
This follows the success of the previous themed series, Masters of Illusion, Science Fiction in Film-Spaceships in Cinema and Fashion in Film: Costume as Character, according to a press statement.
The institute is teaming up with Qatar Philharmonic Orchestra (QPO) — a member of Qatar Foundation for Education, Science and Community Development, the British embassy in Doha and the British Council for the inaugural A Symphony of Films series, which will bring together the “double delight of film screenings and live concerts”, the statement noted.
A Symphony of Films will be held from September 22-26 at Katara Drama Theatre and Opera House. It will include the Qatar premiere screening of German director FW Murnau’s expressionist horror film, Nosferatu, eine Symphonie des Grauens (Nosferatu: A Symphony of Horror/1922/German), to the live accompaniment of the original score performed by QPO.
Other films to be screened in the series include The Good, the Bad and the Ugly by Sergio Leone, North by Northwest by Alfred Hitchcock, a free youth screening of 3D film Brave by Pixar in the presence of Patrick Doyle, Akira Kurosawa’s Ran, Caramel by Nadine Labaki and Landscape in the Mist by Theo Angelopoulos.
Master film composer Doyle will further regale audiences in a live concert. Doyle is renowned for his works on Sense and Sensibility, Gosford Park, Harry Potter and The Goblet of Fire, Thor, Cinderella, Carlito’s Way and Rise of the Planet of the Apes, among others.
He will also conduct a master-class for film and music enthusiasts in Qatar on September 24 at 5pm at the MIA auditorium on the importance of music in film and the power a soundtrack can have over audiences.
Doyle’s concert, A Symphony of Films, will highlight outstanding compositions from his career and also mark the 400th death anniversary of William Shakespeare with Doyle’s compositions for films based on the works of the bard, including Much Ado About Nothing, Hamlet, Henry V and As You Like It, with actor-director Sir Kenneth Branagh. Fatma al-Remaihi, CEO of DFI, said: “We are delighted to partner with the Qatar Philharmonic Orchestra and British Council’s Shakespeare Lives Programme for the new thematic series that marks a celebration of two of the most powerful art forms – music and film.”
Doyle noted, “I’m very much looking forward to my first trip to Qatar. It’s a tremendous honour to be invited by the British embassy in Doha, the British Council and Doha Film Institute.” Nosferatu: A Symphony of Horror is a compelling work in cinema and an unauthorised adaptation of Bram Stoker’s Dracula. Film lovers in Qatar will have a rare opportunity to watch the film to the accompaniment of live music.
Tickets to the performances are available at qatarphilharmonicorchestra.org and priced QR75-200. Tickets to the film screenings are available at www.dohafilminstitute.com and priced at QR35, with a QR10 discount available for students and Culture Pass by Qatar Museums holders.
Brave and the master-class with Patrick Doyle are free events, but DFI has encouraged audiences to reserve a free ticket for admission.
A Symphony of Films is supported by International Financial Services.