French silent classic ‘Paris qui dort’ comes alive with Stéphane Scharlé’s live score in Chandigarh

A century-old French silent film came alive in Chandigarh on Saturday evening as “Paris qui dort (The Crazy Ray)” was screened with a live musical performance by French drummer and composer Stéphane Scharlé at the Café Théâtre, Alliance Française, Sector 36.

Presented by the French Institute in India and the Alliance Française network, the screening featured Scharlé performing on his self-invented Augmented Drum, blending percussion and electronic textures.

The audience was transported to a Paris frozen in time by a mad scientist’s mysterious ray. The screening of the restored 4K print, courtesy of the Jérôme Seydoux-Pathé Foundation, retained its haunting charm while the live score added a fresh contemporary pulse.

“We were thrilled to welcome Stéphane Scharlé and his poetic reinterpretation of 'Paris qui dort' as the first event in our newly refurbished theatre. It was a meaningful way to reopen this space to Chandigarh’s audiences and to celebrate the vitality of French creativity,” said Fiona Guerra, Director, Alliance Française de Chandigarh.

The Chandigarh showcase was part of Scharlé’s India Tour, which includes performances across New Delhi, Pune, Kolkata, Mumbai and Chennai. The musician has performed over 500 concerts across 40 countries.

The evening drew loud applause as audiences celebrated this meeting of nostalgia and innovation — a reminder of how art continues to transcend time, language, and form.