Angoroj
Encyclopedia
Angoroj was the first feature film
to be produced entirely in Esperanto
. It was directed and produced by Jacques-Louis Mahé, a friend of Raymond Schwartz
who, under the pseudonym
'Lorjak', had previously produced a silent Esperanto publicity film before World War II
titled Antaŭen! (Onwards!).
At the start of the 1960s Mahé, a professional photographic
and cinematic expert, invested in the production of the first fictional film in Esperanto. Using a scenario by Mahé himself, the actors of the Internacia Arta Teatro (International Arts Theatre) presented a crime story
, set in the Paris
ian periphery of petty thieves and cheats. Other notable people who played parts in the film included Schwartz
(the commissioner), Gaston Waringhien
(the voice-over) and many from the environs of the contemporary Paris, including Michel Duc-Goninaz
.
The film was produced from 1963 to 1964, but the market did not react favourably. Mahé, who lost a large sum of money, accused Universala Esperanto-Asocio of a boycott. At the highest point of his depression, he destroyed almost all copies: only two remain (acquired eventually by the Château de Grésillon and the British Esperanto Association, both already used) as well as the original, which LF-koop (Kooperativo de Literatura Foiro) rescued in 1991 distributing a 61-minute videotape
.
Feature film
In the film industry, a feature film is a film production made for initial distribution in theaters and being the main attraction of the screening, rather than a short film screened before it; a full length movie...
to be produced entirely in Esperanto
Esperanto
is the most widely spoken constructed international auxiliary language. Its name derives from Doktoro Esperanto , the pseudonym under which L. L. Zamenhof published the first book detailing Esperanto, the Unua Libro, in 1887...
. It was directed and produced by Jacques-Louis Mahé, a friend of Raymond Schwartz
Raymond Schwartz
Raymond Schwartz , was a French banker and Esperanto author who wrote many poems and novels in Esperanto, as well as skits which he directed for Parisian Esperanto cabarets.-Biography:...
who, under the pseudonym
Pseudonym
A pseudonym is a name that a person assumes for a particular purpose and that differs from his or her original orthonym...
'Lorjak', had previously produced a silent Esperanto publicity film before World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
titled Antaŭen! (Onwards!).
At the start of the 1960s Mahé, a professional photographic
Photography
Photography is the art, science and practice of creating durable images by recording light or other electromagnetic radiation, either electronically by means of an image sensor or chemically by means of a light-sensitive material such as photographic film...
and cinematic expert, invested in the production of the first fictional film in Esperanto. Using a scenario by Mahé himself, the actors of the Internacia Arta Teatro (International Arts Theatre) presented a crime story
Crime fiction
Crime fiction is the literary genre that fictionalizes crimes, their detection, criminals and their motives. It is usually distinguished from mainstream fiction and other genres such as science fiction or historical fiction, but boundaries can be, and indeed are, blurred...
, set in the Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
ian periphery of petty thieves and cheats. Other notable people who played parts in the film included Schwartz
Raymond Schwartz
Raymond Schwartz , was a French banker and Esperanto author who wrote many poems and novels in Esperanto, as well as skits which he directed for Parisian Esperanto cabarets.-Biography:...
(the commissioner), Gaston Waringhien
Gaston Waringhien
Gaston Waringhein was a French linguist, lexicographer, and Esperantist. He wrote poems as well as essays and books on linguistics...
(the voice-over) and many from the environs of the contemporary Paris, including Michel Duc-Goninaz
Michel Duc-Goninaz
Michel Duc-Goninaz is known worldwide for his 2002 revision of La Plena Ilustrita Vortaro de Esperanto ....
.
The film was produced from 1963 to 1964, but the market did not react favourably. Mahé, who lost a large sum of money, accused Universala Esperanto-Asocio of a boycott. At the highest point of his depression, he destroyed almost all copies: only two remain (acquired eventually by the Château de Grésillon and the British Esperanto Association, both already used) as well as the original, which LF-koop (Kooperativo de Literatura Foiro) rescued in 1991 distributing a 61-minute videotape
Videotape
A videotape is a recording of images and sounds on to magnetic tape as opposed to film stock or random access digital media. Videotapes are also used for storing scientific or medical data, such as the data produced by an electrocardiogram...
.