The Buster Keaton Celebration draws in fans from all over the world. This year Kate Guyonvarch, Chaplin office director, is traveling from Paris to speak at the event.
Guyonvarch grew up in England but has lived in Paris for nearly 30 years.
“I started working for the Chaplin office more than 30 years ago as a bilingual secretary,” she said. “I was not a Chaplin fan but have become one over the years. My boss retired in the early 1990s and I have been managing director of the office ever since.”
She also manages use of the Charlie Chaplin image and rights for merchandising purposes on behalf of Bubbles Inc., S.A.
Some Keaton and Chaplin fans say you have to choose one over the other to have a favorite silent screen star. Guyonvarch doesn’t agree.
“I decided to attend the festival because they very kindly invited me and I think it is a good opportunity to show that one can like both Keaton and Chaplin,” Guyonvarch said. “Many people say that is not possible, you have to be in one camp or the other but this invitation is proof that that is not the case.”
She will present at 1:20 p.m today at the Bowlus Fine Arts Center. The presentation is titled, “Limelight: The Chaplin Archives.” Limelight was released in 1952 and features both Keaton and Chaplin. It is a comedy-drama film written, directed by and starring Chaplin
“I will be showing some photographs and quoting from some texts that we have found in the archives that possibly never have been seen before,” Guyonvarch said.
All activities are free and open to the public.
Direct from Paris: Chaplin historian
