"When we consider the limited number of prints struck for a film of the early years, and take into account the variety of factors contributing to their loss or decay, the very existence of a nitrate copy one hundred years after the making of the film may be seen as something close to a miracle." - Paolo Cherchi Usai, Silent Cinema: An Introduction

Anniversaries prompt retrospection. Round numbers, especially intervals of five or ten, act as cultural markers, drawing us back to moments in time. Why do these arbitrary numbers hold such power over us? Perhaps because they make the abstract passage of time feel tangible. They remind us of the existence of the past itself, a space that is full of potential for new discoveries. And few art forms bring the past to life as vividly as cinema.

CINEMA CENTENNIAL is a showcase of films released in 1925, exactly a century ago. The year marked the 30th anniversary of the Lumière Brothers’ first public screening in 1895, a moment widely regarded as the birth of cinema exhibition. By this time, film had evolved from a novelty into a dominant form of mass entertainment and was increasingly being recognized as a serious artistic medium. Audiences flocked to grand movie palaces and small regional theaters alike, with an estimated 45 million people attending the cinema each week in the United States alone. Positioned at the midpoint of what has come to be known as the golden age of silent cinema, 1925 saw the release of some of the most innovative and influential motion pictures of the silent era. It also stood on the brink of a major technological revolution: just two years later, the release of The Jazz Singer would usher in synchronized sound, transforming film production and accelerating the decline of silent cinema. In short, it was an exciting moment of extraordinary creativity and cultural influence.

But what does it mean to look back 100 years? A century carries a particular weight. It signals that everyone directly involved in these films - actors, directors, even the original audiences - are no longer with us. To recognize this is to deepen our appreciation for cinema itself. Film, by its nature, captures movement - life - and preserves it. That we can still see these works today is a testament not only to the power of the medium, but also to the resilience of art and the dedication of those who have fought to preserve it. Watching a film from 100 years ago is not merely an act of nostalgia. These works give voice to a time beyond living memory and invite us to reflect on transience and timelessness. In these peculiar times when AI-generated content is provocatively being claimed to be the future of art, we can look to the cinema of the past to rediscover the true essence of art. These works remind us of the soul that lies beyond the image.

The films in this program represent some of the most extraordinary achievements of silent cinema. They include works by master directors such as Charlie Chaplin, Sergei Eisenstein, Jean Renoir, Carl Theodor Dreyer, King Vidor, René Clair, Buster Keaton, and G.W. Pabst. Spanning genres from comedy to horror, melodrama to war epic, science fiction to western, these films still astonish with their artistry, ambition, and emotional force. We invite you to experience them on the big screen not just as historical documents, but as living works of art. Films that, even 100 years later, still have the power to move us.

All the films are presented in their latest digital restorations and reconstructions, nearly half of them screening for the first time in Korea.

[Korean Premiere]
The Gold Rush [2025 4K Restoration]
Die freudlose Gass (The Joyless Street) [2025 2K Restoration]
La Fille de l’eau (Whirlpool of Fate) [2018 4K Restoration]
Paris qui dort (The Crazy Ray) [2018 4K Restoration]
The Lost World [2016 2K Restoration]