DELHI — Nearly a century after its debut, Sergei Eisenstein’s revolutionary 1925 silent film Battleship Potemkin returns to the screen — this time with a contemporary musical edge.
Bushel Collective will present a one-night screening of Potemkin Sunday, June 1, accompanied by a live quartet, part of its ongoing “Cine Sonica: Film Concert Live” series. Composer and pianist Mihoko Suzuki will lead the ensemble, joined by Chris Sterrns on trumpet and flugelhorn, Scott Williams on double bass, and Timothy Cramer on drums, percussion, and vocal effects.
Widely regarded as a landmark in film history, Battleship Potemkin dramatizes the 1905 mutiny of Russian sailors who rose against their officers aboard the eponymous vessel. The film’s most iconic sequence — the massacre on the Odessa Steps — exemplifies Eisenstein’s innovative use of montage to convey emotion and tension without overt violence. Upon its release, the film was banned in multiple countries, including the United States and France, for its political overtones and graphic imagery.
Eisenstein famously envisioned that the film’s score should be reimagined every two decades. With Potemkin nearing its 100th anniversary, the Cine Sonica ensemble will offer a bold, atonal soundscape rooted in asymmetrical rhythms and tonal experimentation. The aim, organizers say, is to honor the film’s radical spirit while resonating with the contemporary political moment.
Doors open at 7:40 p.m., and the program begins promptly at 8 p.m. Seating is limited. Advance reservations are available for $20 through www.bushelcollective.org. Standing room admission will be offered on a sliding scale at the door, payable in cash or via Venmo.
