Cine-concert: Tabu | TIFF 2023

Directed by F.W. Murnau, 1931, Original music: Violeta Dinescu

Live performance: Trio Contraste & Dorin Cuibariu

A masterpiece of silent film in a new musical vision

The last film directed by the legendary F.W. Muranu, Tabu - a story of the South Seas, takes place on the idyllic island of Bora Bora, where two young people live a beautiful love story. Their lives change dramatically when the girl is declared the community's Chosen Virgin. Any man who looks at her or touches her is condemned to death. Refusing to part, the two young lovers flee to another island, considered decadent because of the French colonialists. Here, the young man takes a job as a pearl diver but fails to fully grasp the concept of money and quickly falls into debt. Things get even more complicated when the leaders of their native community find them and want to punish them.

Fascinated by the structure of this film's musical form, composer Violeta Dinescu used material that started a dialogue with the people, places and story of Tabu, establishing correspondences, commentaries or counterpoints to the images on screen. The music will be performed live by Trio Contraste and Dorin Cuibariu.

The cine-concert Tabu - a story of the South Seas is presented at TIFF by Ligeti Festival and Transylvania Art and Science.