Durch das malerische Finnland / [Through Picturesque Finland]

Durch das malerische Finnland (1918). The Punkaharju ridge. Photo: Bundesarchiv.

Durch das malerische Finnland. Punkaharju. Photo: Bundesarchiv, BArch_B 46867 1R.

Year: 1918. Country: Germania.
    Prod.: Bild- und Filmamt (BuFA) / Ufa 35 mm. L: 264 m. D.: 10′ a 22 f/s. Bn.
    German intertitles
    From: Das Bundesarchiv.
Viewed at Sala Mastroianni, Bologna, Il Cinema Ritrovato, Cento anni fà: 1918, 29 June 2018

"On the surface, ‘A Journey Through Picturesque Finland’ is a standard travelogue, no different than any of the other travelogues piled to the ceiling in archives throughout the world (and not much different from lots of YouTube content today). Viewers gets to experience the most impressive monuments and must-see places in a particular region from the comfort of their armchairs (or cinema seats), and maybe enough of them will actually head there for a holiday to offset the production costs. These kinds of films were enormously popular during the Early Cinema period and were already standard fare by 1918 – so why would we be showing it? As ever, context is king. After the collapse of Tsarist Russia, Finland emerged as an independent nation in 1917. By the time this film was released, a bloody civil war had begun which would cost in total about 35,000 people their lives. So please, sit back and soak in the views of a beautiful and blessed new-born nation, but remember: what the proud parents don’t say is just as telling as what they do." Karl Wratschko

AA: According to Jari Sedergren, this travelogue was shot in the summer of 1918 in Finland after the civil war, during the period when Finland was tightly connected with Germany. It could not have been earlier since until 1917 Finland was a part of Russia, at war with Germany.

The film is a classic selection of Finland's major sightseeing attractions.

The print on display looks like it has been duped in many generations.

BEYOND THE JUMP BREAK: JARI SEDERGREN'S REMARKS:
BEYOND THE JUMP BREAK: JARI SEDERGREN'S REMARKS:
[Remarks in square brackets are mine]

Durch das malerische Finnland, 1918.

Kuvaus: Bufa kesällä 1918. Jakelu 1919 lähtien Ufa, Kulturabteilung. [Shot in the summer 1918 by Bufa. Released in 1919 by Ufa Kulturabteilung.]

Flug im Doppeldecker über die finnische Küstenlandschaft mit Schären; [footage shot from a biplane over the Finnish coast]
Kameraschwenk über Helsingfors (Helsinki) [a panoramic shot over Helsinki]; - kuvauspaikka Kallion kirkon torni [shot from the tower of Kallio Church]
Straßenleben mit deutschen Soldaten unter der Bevölkerung [street life in the presence of German soldiers]; - kuvauspaikka Kauppatori [the Market Square]
Wochen- und Fischmarkt; - kuvauspaikka Kauppatori
Autofahrt durch Punkarhajo; kuvauspaikka Punkaharju (nicht Punkarhajo) [a car ride through Punkaharju]
Holzflößerei; (en tunnistanut paikkaa) [timber floating]
Burg Wiborg; [Vyborg Castle]
Saimakanal, der Wiborg mit Willmansstrand verbindet; [the Saimaa Canal from Vyborg to Lappeenranta]
Imatrafälle mit dem Staatshotel [Imatra Falls and the State Hotel];
Stromschnellen bei Vallinkoski [Vallinkoski Rapids];
Olafsburg mit Wehrtürmen und -gängen; [Olavinlinna with its fortified towers and military gears]
Blick auf die Inselstadt Nyslott; [the island city Savonlinna]
Sortavalo am Nordende des Ladogasees; à kuvauspaikka Sortavala (nicht Sortavalo). [Sortavala in the north end of Lake Ladoga]
Kloster Valamo; [Valamo Monastery]
Dampferfahrt durch den Taipalekanal und Ankunft in Kuopio; Kuvauspaikka Puijo. [Steamboat ride through the Taipale Canal, arrival at Kuopio; shooting location Puijo]
Kahnfahrt auf dem reißenden Uleo; Kuvauspaikat: matala ranta Niskakoski, Vaala , korkeat rannat Pyhäkoski, Muhos [A barge ride through the foamy Oulu River. The shallow coast: Niskakoski, Vaala. The high coast: Pyhäkoski, Muhos.]
Puuttuu selityksestä vaikka väliteksti: tulo Vaasaan (en tunnistanut paikkakuntaa kuvista) [Arrival at Vaasa]
Segelregatta auf einem finnischen See; [sailing regatta on Finnish waters]
Mitternachtssonne. [midnight sun]

Quelle: Bundesarchiv

– Jari Sedergren 2018