Documentary News Letter (1944-1945)

68 DOCUMENTARY NEWS LETTER The Cinema Indus try in Belgium •j during the Occupation By HENRI STORCK \\ ell-known Belgian documentary director, maker who has lived in Belgium throughout the Vic/' T>rroRE the war, arising from the poor sense of -'-'discipline of the cinema owners and film distributors, the cinema industry in Belgium suffered from a general lack of professional organisation. The representatives of American firms wielded considerable influence amongst the distributors and pursued a policy in accordance with their own personal interests. It was true that two large associations had been formed, that of the distributors, and that of the exhibitors (the latter formed in 1938), but behind a facade of organisation there was precious little understanding and as a result, it was impossible for effective measures to be taken. Weakness was particularly marked on the exhibiting side. There were too many cinemas (about 1,100 for a population of 81 million) and, most important, the cinemas were too large, with too great a seating capacity. In fact there was one seat per 16 of the population (in Brussels there were several cinemas seating 3,000). Before the war there were too many competitive attractions. The cinema owners fought with each other by issuing complimentary tickets, reducing the charges for seats, which became fantastically cheap, and by including two or even three big films in the same programme. Added to this, the high taxes and royalties augmented still further the exhibitors' costs. Thus the general situation of the cinema was extremely bad when the Germans invaded Belgium in May, 1940. They established a military administration whose propaganda department (called the Propaganda Abteilung) was to concern itself with the artistic and intellectual life of the country. It appears that the film section of the P. A. got its orders direct from the Propaganda Ministry in Berlin. It was to carry out the plans of the secretary of the Reichsfilmkammer Karl Melzer, also secretary of the Chambre International du Film. This organisation grouped together all the occupied countries and certain neutral countries such as Sweden, Portugal and Spain, as well as Germany's allies. Herr Melzer's objective was to allow only German films to be shown in Belgian cinemas and to eliminate all other productions. Since Germany produced only 100 new films per year, it was necessary to close a large number of cinemas and the aim was to retain 500 of the 1,100 exhibiting before the war. A start was made by cutting out all those cinemas whose receipts did not exceed 5,000 francs a week and those backed by political parties such as the Catholic and the Socialist cinemas. The occupying authority did not manage to close all the cinemas intended, bul cut the number down to 794. On the other hand it encouraged the opening of 87 halls for the showing of 16 mm. films. Melzer's plan resulted also in the shutting down of a large number of distributors who had become troublesome; out of 90 distributors, 12 only were finally authorised to carry on with their work, while the others were arbitrarily shut down. The object of Melzer's plan was to monopolise all income for the benefit of the German cinema industry and to produce intensive proGerman propaganda. In point of fact, although Belgian cinemas should have shown German films exclusively this was not fully achieved, eight-tenths of all films shown in Belgian cinemas during the occupation being of German origin. The first regulations issued by the military authority made it compulsory for the distributors and exhibitors to register with the associations recognised by the Germans. Following this, all English, American and French films were banned. Later on, a few French films were allowed so that the needs of the cinema could be met. German newsreels were shown compulsorily in the proportion of 3 per cent, reduced towards the end of the occupation to 2 per cent. Other regulations were added subsequently, in particular each member of the industry was compelled to prove his Aryan descent. The showing of French films in the Flemish regions of the country was prohibited ; in these regions the Propaganda Abteilung allowed only German films or French films dubbed in German. Thus the people of Antwerp were only able to hear their favourite French stars talk German, a handicap that was particularly offensive! In Brussels, German films were shown in the original with French and Flemish captions or else dubbed in French. In the Walloon region, in face of the lack of success of the original German versions, only German films dubbed in French were shown. Since German production was going down each year, while the market was increasing (indeed, with travelling and holidays impossible, the theatre, concerts and the cinema were about the only distractions for the Belgians during the occupation), the Germans imported a few Italian and French films. These last had been made in Paris by the German film Continental or purchased by Continental from independent French producers. In addition the Germans bought cinemas in several towns and used them to launch their big productions, boosting them with extensive publicity. Altogether, over 300 films were imported from Germain and distributed by the U.F.A. and Tobis agencies, who thus managed to divert to Germany something in the region of half a million francs. To complete the picture, it must he added that the Germans made it compulsory for th.2 distributors to give them a list of the film copies they held, and these copies had to be handed over lo be made into raw materials. Many masterpieces, particularly of the silent film of Borinages occupation period, were lost in this way. The Germans too" not the slightest account of the artistic or histori value of certain valuable films which were foe' ishlv handed over to them by faint-hearted d -I tributors. However, some copies of Amenc j films were hidden awaj and escaped destruction! t they were brought out and shown on our scree i immediately the Germans had gone, and wer j enormously successful with a public that h. I been deprived of American and British films fd lb. four years. k It must be stressed that the compulsorv sho ing of newsreels and the large number of Gel * man films shown have not had the slightest effe4 I on Belgian morale, nor on the spirit of resistance Many patriots refused to go and see Germ.i films. For the most part, these films didn't down at all with the public. With a few exceij tions, German production had lost all A particular style; its ambition was to imita| American commercial production, but In scenarios lacked imagination and the directic was completely uninspired. Production v,i rigidly controlled, with a consequent loss of thf creative and inventive spirit. Considered as whole, German film work was heavy, slow a>) sombre: the humour was laboured. There we •(■ however, a very few interesting films, some >»L war subjects and some based on the lives qk historical or legendary figures, as for instance ■ fantasy in Agfacolour inspired by the adventuring of Baron Munchausen; but under Nazi influenot German films had lost their special qualities ck. plastic beauty and sharp realism. The public rot; acted to the Na/i newsreels with spirit. Tra occupying authority had been forced to prohibl :, demonstrations, making the cinema manage] responsible for all incidents. Some especia provocative newsreels, such as those shown Leon Degrelle haranguing his Rexist, "an. bolshevik" legion, had to be shown with ir lights on so that interruptors could be mc easily spotted. On one occasion, however, it w a German officer who started the laughing arl the whole audience was quick to imitate him Presenting Scotland {contd. from p. within its own border. Though full reference is made to Grierson the introduction, it is surprising that Drifh\ does hot appear in the list of films about Sci land. The list is unselective and therefore utj critical. It includes not onlj good films but sonl which are better forgotten for example, a sil little British Council film, Landoj inventors, ped percd with errors of fact, and the almost war! British Council film — Royal Mile, Edinburgh] calculated to make everj Scotsman from Robu the Bruce to Sir .lames Barrie turn twice in I j grave.