Wissperatulb

18/10/2024

"Silent Chit Chats - a WISSPER series" is the new podcast about women in silent screen studies. The first episode is available on YouTube (video) and on Spotify (sound-only). Follow the links below to watch/listen!
🔗 https://youtube.com/
🔗https://open.spotify.com/episode/1gLWKBhoRuwDVqnvXQY3Vz

07/11/2023

Hi everyone! The video of the "Dance Film Programme Workshop" that took place during "Le Giornate del Cinema Muto 42/ Pordenone Silent Film Festival" (7-14 October 2023) is now available to watch at

This workshop took place during the 42nd edition of "Le Giornate del Cinema Muto" / "Pordenone Silent Film Festival" (7-14 October, 2023). The aim of this workshop was to discuss with film archivists and the audience of the festival, about the design of a dance film programme, hopefully for the next...

19/05/2023

W.I.S.S.PE.R. project is happy to announce the workshop "Sais-tu qu'avant les actrices/acteurs ne parlaient pas dans les films?", for kids from 6 to 9 years old (in French language). Organized in collaboration with Université des enfants - ULB and PointCulture-ULB Ixelles.
Info about the registration in the post below! (Pssst, there are still a few places available! 😉)
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Le projet de recherche W.I.S.S.PE.R. est heureux d'annoncer l'atelier "Sais-tu qu'avant les actrices/acteurs ne parlaient pas dans les films?" pour les enfants de 6 à 9 ans (en langue française). Organisé en collaboration avec "Université des enfants - ULB" et PointCulture-ULB Ixelles.
Infos sur l'inscription dans le post ci-dessous ! (Pssst, il y a encore quelques places disponibles! 😉)

https://www.facebook.com/udeulb/posts/pfbid0858QNX9VsfR4u2BZhsUfQmh3JSdRgAoutWtggNN7sTnx1yCgGxGtabXZayEKpd5Dl

03/05/2023

Hi everyone,
I wish to bring to your attention the W.I.S.S.PE.R. playlist, that is now available on the YouTube channel of the Eye Filmmuseum. The playlist includes some wonderful digital film prints from the Eye collections. You can access it via this link:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLQr5oaajRw8OMqD5fihB4IADRwMmDdo5K

or via the shortcut on this page of W.I.S.S.PE.R. website, where you can also find some useful info about the workshop which inspired the playlist and some details about the films: https://wissperatulb.com/event/1st-w-i-s-s-pe-r-workshop/

The workshop was focused on the wonderful topic "Dance, acting, Movement and Gestural Patterns in Silent Cinema" and it has been an amazing, inspiring and positively challenging two-day international event, full of screenings and discussions!

1st W.I.S.S.PE.R. Workshop about women's impact on screen-acting in silent cinema.

30/01/2023

Hi everyone, there's a brand new audiovisual essay on actresses-dancers of the silent era!
Check it out at
https://wissperatulb.com/event/off-and-on-screen-conference

24/11/2022

Hi everyone, after months and months of work behind the scenes, I am very happy (and proud) to announce that W.I.S.S.PE.R. website is finally online!!!
Want to find out more about the project? Check it out on https://wissperatulb.com
More contents will be uploaded in the months to come! Stay tuned…

WISSPER is a research project focused on the study of actresses-dancers in silent cinema and their contribution to screen-acting theory and practice.

11/09/2022

Asta Nielsen (Copenaghen, 1881 – Frederiksberg, 1972) portraid as a Spanish dancer on a German postcard, by Ross Verlag (Collection Paul van Yperen). This was a publicity still for the film "Der Tod von Sevilla" ("The Death of Seville", Urban Gad, 1913). Nielsen often performed as a dancer onscreen. Despite the lack of a regular ballet or dance professional training, her screendances are among the most stunning and popular of the silent era.
Image source: https://www.flickr.com/photos/truusbobjantoo/34959465430/

07/09/2022

Stacia Napierkowska (Renée Claire Angèle Élisabeth Napierkowski, Paris 1891/1896 – Paris 1945) as portraid in a French postcard by MvB (Collection Ivo Blom), most probably between 1905 and 1907, when she was a member of the Opéra ballet company.
She later starred in many French and Italian films of the silent era, often performing dance sequences onscreen.
Image source: https://www.flickr.com/photos/truusbobjantoo/15067855349/

07/09/2022

Ileana Leonidoff (Elena Sergeevna Pisarevskaja. Sevastopol, Crimea, in 1893 - Lima, Peru, 1968) as portraid on an Italian postcard by Fotocelere, Turin (1910s?). Collection Ivo Blom.
Actress-dancer, she starred in numerous Italian films of the silent era. In 1920 she founded her own company of Russian ballets, called Balli Russi Leonidoff and in 1927 she was appointed director of the first dance school of the Royal Opera House in Rome. She later pursued her career as choreographer in South America. Image source: https://www.flickr.com/photos/truusbobjantoo/51009115626

07/09/2022

This page is dedicated to the research project W.I.S.S.PE.R.(Université libre de Bruxelles). W.I.S.S.PE.R. is about actresses-dancers in silent cinema and migrations. Because cultural heritage doesn't have geographical, nor political boundaries. Check-it out for more at https://if-at-ulb.ulb.be/fellows/elisa-uffreduzzi and soon on the new website dedicated to the project... stay tuned! 😉