Drummer Stéphane Scharlé brings Paris qui Dort back to life with sound

When a city stops moving, what sound does silence make? That’s the question at the heart of Paris qui Dort - Cine-concert, a century-old French silent film that finds a new rhythm this weekend.

A black-and-white Paris frozen in time meets the pulse of the Augmented Drum

Audiences will watch René Clair’s 1924 classic unfold on screen, with its dreamlike vision of a Paris frozen in time, while French drummer and composer Stéphane Scharlé performs a live, electrifying score on his invention, the Augmented Drum.

Presented by the French Institute in India and the Alliance Française network, this rare screening transforms a black-and-white sci-fi gem into a living, pulsing experience, where film meets sound, and the past meets the future.

“The film actually turns 100 this year,” says Stéphane. “In the past, I’ve created several live film concerts with my band, exploring horror, adventure, and burlesque. What I was missing was science fiction, and what could be better than this magnificent, newly restored film?”

Clair’s Paris qui Dort, restored in 4K by the Jérôme Seydoux-Pathé Foundation, imagines a Paris struck still by a mad scientist’s mysterious ray. A lone night watchman wakes atop the Eiffel Tower to find the city motionless. Around him, a handful of survivors wander through a metropolis of frozen dancers, halted cars, and time itself suspended mid-breath.

Watching it for the first time, Stéphane says, felt eerily familiar. “This Paris frozen in time, both strange and poetic, reminded me of the pandemic lockdown. The sleeping city, the empty streets… it resonated very deeply.” That emotion shaped his score, which shifts between stillness and life. “The whole rhythmic logic of the music grew from that feeling of time standing still and slowly starting up again,” he adds.

At the centre of this performance is Stéphane’s Augmented Drum. “It was born from a desire to go beyond the limits of a drum kit without losing its physicality,” he explains. “It’s still about gesture and impact, but each strike can open up a harmonic world. It’s a bit like painting with rhythm.”

Improvisation, he says, keeps that dialogue alive. “I never play the same version twice. There’s a structure, an emotional map, but within that I let the film breathe. My role is to listen to the image, to the space, to the silence of the audience. That’s where the real dialogue begins.”

The project celebrates a century of cinematic imagination while highlighting the enduring spirit of cross-cultural exchange. “This performance reflects our mission of cultural exchange and innovation,” says Pooja Tayal, cultural and communication coordinator. “By reimagining a timeless French classic through a modern artistic lens, we are creating a shared, immersive experience for Indian audiences.”

For Stéphane, the reward lies in the audience’s reaction. “Many expect an intellectual experience, but they end up moved, sometimes even laughing out loud. The electronic sounds give the film a new life, almost science-fictional. That mix of surprise and emotion is what I love most.”

Free entry. On November 7. From 7.30 pm onwards. 12.30 – 3 pm, 7 – 11 pm. At Alliance Française de Madras, Nungambakkam.

Email: shivani@newindianexpress.com
X: @ShivaniIllakiya

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