Bei unseren Helden an der Somme

original title:
Bei unseren Helden an der Somme
other titles:
With our Heros at the Somme
country / year of production:
Germany / 1917
original length:
32 min. , black/white
premiere:
Januar 1917
genre:
Propaganda film
based on:
director:
film script:
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plot synopsis:
Propagandafilm that was aimed at giving the audience an authentic impression of the Somme-battle-field but hardly uses footage of original places.
The film consists of three parts: in the first one the ruins of the villages and towns close to the front line are presented, the subheading blames enemy artillery for the devastation. The second and third part show fight-scenes, first in the forrest, then on the open field.
Another aim of the film is to confute British accusations of German "barbarism".
keywords:
silent movie , Battle of the Somme , artillery , infantry
war:
First World War (1914-1918)
literature:
Rainer Rother. "Bei unseren Helden an der Somme. Eine deutsche Antwort auf die Entente-Propaganda". In: KINtop - Jahrbuch zur Erforschung des frühen Films, Bd. 4. Basel/ Frankfurt a.M. 1995, 123-142 .

Rainer Rother. "Bei unseren Helden an der Somme (1917). The creation of a 'social event'". In: Historical Journal of Film, Radio and Television 15 (1995), 4 , 525-542.
remarks:
German answer to the British "The Battle of the Somme". First film produced by the recently founded BUFA, Bild- und Filmamt, that had been installed to increase the quality of propaganda.

Some of the scenes show German soldiers wearing the old spiked helmet (Pickelhaube), a hat that had been replaced in the first months of 1916. A clear indication that not all of the scenes were taken during the Battle of the Somme (June 6th - November 26th 1916), thus undermining the film`s claim of authenticity.
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