In the heart of the Saint-Sauveur church in Saorge, an organ accompanies masterpieces of silent cinema

As part of the international festival of the Royal Route of Organs, spectators discovered a heritage to listen to. Films, to the sound of the organ, by a certain Georges Méliès.

An organ in a church. Nothing exceptional so far. Except that the public here has come for a movie screening, to discover or rediscover the works of a certain Georges Méliès.

At the back of the nave, at the keyboard, Gabriele Agrimonti, a renowned Italian organist, improvises live the music from the silent film. A unique screening and performance, which requires a little preparation: “I watched the film several times, tried to learn it by heart, to remember the scenes, but I try not to rehearse too much. I know what I want to do, but I haven’t composed anything in advance.”

For one hour, the silent films of the early 20th century by Georges Méliès come back to life thanks to this instrument created fifty years earlier. A screening like no other, which took place as part of the La route royale des orgues festival.

All summer long, this event combines historical and cinematographic heritage to revive the beginnings of cinema: “We often associate heritage with sight, we come to see and admire monuments. Here, the festival wants to introduce a heritage to listen to: these historic organs, built in the 18th and 19th centuries, are very famous Italian organ builders, in an exceptional state of preservation”, explains Franck Marcon, the artistic director of the festival.