International Review of Educational Cinematography (Jan-Dec 1934)

390 EDUCATIONAL CINEMATOGRAPHY eminent guarantee. There are delicate points that will have to be considered, doubtless, but they do not, juridically speaking, present difficulties which might lead to complicated negotiations. These negotiations would not differ much from similar forms of international discussions and understandings. Such solutions do not exist for the cinema. There are, on the other hand, elements in favour of concerted action. For some time past, all those who consider an objective knowledge and intelligent understanding of the various national points of view as one of the foundations of international organization, recognize the importance of spectacles in which the visual element has a preponderating part ; and the formation of an international programme of action by means of the theatre has therefore been studied. Many of the difficulties that cropped up in this case automatically disappeared, as a consequence of the very character of cinematograph production. We may cite, as a typical example of this simplification of the problem in connection with the cinema, that of travelling companies, which question is now settled. The other problem of the international collection of theatrical works also becomes very simple, as likewise the problem of translations. Undoubtedly, since the talking film has come into general use, the cinema is no longer, as it used to be, a universal language ; but a number of technical processes, written sub-titles and oral comments, afford a fairly satisfactory solution of this problem. The cinema, on the other hand, like the newspaper and wireless, enables us to keep the crowd well informed in regard to the chief living realities and concerns of the moment. Like all other means of diffusion, its action can be joined to that of music, and it has a much greater force of visual impression than the theatre ; it has at disposal the greatest variety of technical means for enabling spectators to understand all sorts of problems, thanks to animated cartoons and the infinite resources of photography. There are doubtless typical difficulties connected with the film, especially those of an economic order ; but that does not detract from the fact that there are numerous possibilities of an understanding, and it ought to be easy to overcome these difficulties, considering the numerous measures that may legitimately be taken. It is a field that is still to some extent unknown. A number of national and international organizations have had these problems under consideration, and innumerable efforts have been made to encourage the production of films likely to help in bringing the nations together. In fact, the results so far obtained are excellent. International Solu Various international tions considered meetings convoked by by the League of the organs of ^ Institute of Intellectual Co-operation have discussed the international function of the cinema. Meanwhile, there is no need for us to speak in this Report of the film on the League of Nations which is under consideration and for which several solutions have already been suggested. The problem, however, was considered as a whole by the Committee of Arts and Letters in 1931. This meeting of writers, philosophers and artists had already been convoked by the League of Nations to give the latter its opinion on the fundamental problems which are agitating the universal consciousness, and on the means of dealing with everything that is of direct interest to the future of human culture. It was natural that, among other things, the protection and diffusion of the greatest works of contemporary art and thought should be discussed. A number of plans of action had already been considered when one of those present, Thomas Mann, supported by Miss Vacaresco, who had previously made similar proposals, asked that this project of rating, selecting and protecting works of art should be extended to the cinema. While taking into full account the political difficulties that might result, he suggested that an In