A special classical presentation of Karl Brown’s STARK LOVE brought to you by Humanities Tennessee, Mary B. Martin School of the Arts, The Center for Appalachian Studies, Tennessee Archive of Moving Image and Sound, and the Southern Appalachian International Film Festival will be shown on October 22, 2009 at 6:30 PM at the Paramount in Bristol, Tennessee This will be followed by the premier of LOST MASTERPIECE: KARL BROWN'S STARK LOVE a documentary on the history of the film and it’s stars. And to close a distinguished panel will discuss the importance of the film and it’s impact on film art.
Stark Love, released by Paramount in 1927, was considered one of the top ten films of the year. Lost and rediscovered in 1968 in Prague, it was the star of the 1969 New York Film Festival. Since it’s rediscovery it only has been shown twice in Southern Appalachia, the location where it was filmed. SOAPIFF is proud to present Stark Love as it would have been presented 82 years ago, in the historic Paramount Theater in Bristol, TN and accompanied on the WurliTzer. (Rex Ward will start playing the Mighty WurliTzer Pipe Organ at 6 pm for “early seater’s” enjoyment. It is worth coming early.) Best known for his cinematography, Stark Love was the first of twelve films Karl Brown would direct, and many believe it is his best. Shot on location in the Unicoi Mountains of North Carolina, Brown used local talent to portray the film’s characters instead of established film stars like Lillian Gish or Charles Ray. One of the reasons this is an obscure film is that it has never been transferred to VHS or DVD. All of the sponsors invite you to enter into a time warp for this historic and classical screening of Stark Love. Come experience movies the way they were originally presented, you’ll never look at film the same way again. LOST MASTERPIECE: KARL BROWN'S STARK LOVE is not just a documentary on Karl Brown and how the film came into being or the story of how the film was lost and rediscovered. Stark Love: The Lost Masterpiece is primarily the story of the impact of the film on the lives of the actors and their families. Shot before the formation of the Great Smoky Mountain National Park, filmmaker John White, takes us into the treacherous locations where the film was shot, interviews the descendants of the actors, and tells the story of the discovery of this lost masterpiece. The filmmakers hope that the documentary will encourage the release of this great American classic on DVD in the near future.
