The Buster Keaton Picture Show + Haiku Salut Live

The Buster Keaton Picture Show sees acclaimed instrumental group Haiku Salut perform an original, contemporary live score to Buster Keaton’s 1926 comedy classic The General.

Haiku Salut’s score combines electronica, folk, post rock, and neo-classical elements to cast The General in a new dramatic light.

The General was described by Orson Welles as “the greatest comedy ever made, the greatest Civil War film ever made, and perhaps the greatest film ever made”, and is one of the last major films of the silent era.

The film is based on a true incident – the Great Locomotive Chase – with The General of the title referring to engineer Johnnie Gray’s (Keaton) engine. Gray has been rejected by both the Confederate Army and by his fiancee Annabelle but when Union spies steal the General (and unwittingly, Annabelle), he gets a chance to prove his heroism by catching up with The General and rescuing his beloved. In this ambitious production, Keaton performs all his own stunts using his incredible comic timing and body language to create hilarious, near perfect entertainment.

Haik Salut perform to Cohen Media’s stunning 4K restoration of The General.

“The pioneering genius of Buster Keaton’s 1926 silent film The General looks even more startling than ever…more or less invented the action movie.” – The Guardian

“Not only does Haiku Salut find new ways to immerse the audience into this cinema classic, but in doing so have shown themselves to be among the most artful composers of the moment.” - LoudAndQuiet

This show was commissioned as part of the British Film Institute’s Comedy Genius season.

Haiku Salut’s “The General” was published an album in August 2019, available on Spotify and other major platforms.

http://www.haikusalut.com
http://comedyfestival.ee

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