Salaviinanpolttajat
Encyclopedia
Salaviinanpolttajat is a Finnish
film made in 1907
. While only 20 minutes in length, it is generally considered the first fictional film
made in the country and as such, the starting point of Finnish cinema industry.
, who is now regarded as the father of Finnish cinema. The contest was won by the pseudonym "J. V-s", who some speculated was actually Ståhlberg himself, but other sources say he was a local sheriff. The screenplay was adapted and the film was directed by a friend of Ståhlberg, the Swedish
count
and artist Louis Sparre
.
. The original screenplay has also been lost. However, some plot descriptions are still known based on contemporary newspaper advertisements of the film.
As the name would indicate, the film tells about two local men who are making moonshine
in the woods. A customer comes to them, and while sampling the product they start a game of cards, which eventually leads to a fight. While the fight is going on, the local police shows up and arrests the makers while the customer manages to escape.
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
film made in 1907
1907 in film
The year 1907 in film involved some significant events.-Events:* January 19 - Variety publishes its first film review.* May 7 - Seattle film maker William Harbeck sets up a camera at the front of a B.C. Electric streetcar and films the downtown streets of Vancouver, British Columbia...
. While only 20 minutes in length, it is generally considered the first fictional film
Fictional film
Fictional film or narrative film is film that tells a fictional story or narrative. Narrative cinema is usually contrasted to films that present information, such as a nature documentary, as well as to some experimental films...
made in the country and as such, the starting point of Finnish cinema industry.
Origin
The film's origins were in a screenplay writing contest commissioned by Atelier Apollo, owned by photographer and engineer Karl Emil StåhlbergKarl Emil Ståhlberg
Karl Emil Ståhlberg was a Finnish photographer and engineer. He founded and managed his own studio Atelier Apollo in Helsinki....
, who is now regarded as the father of Finnish cinema. The contest was won by the pseudonym "J. V-s", who some speculated was actually Ståhlberg himself, but other sources say he was a local sheriff. The screenplay was adapted and the film was directed by a friend of Ståhlberg, the Swedish
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
count
Count
A count or countess is an aristocratic nobleman in European countries. The word count came into English from the French comte, itself from Latin comes—in its accusative comitem—meaning "companion", and later "companion of the emperor, delegate of the emperor". The adjective form of the word is...
and artist Louis Sparre
Louis Sparre
Count Pehr Louis Sparre was a Swedish painter, designer and draughtsman, most noted for his early work in the Finnish national romanticism and jugend styles...
.
Plot
No prints of the film have been preserved so the film can be considered a lost filmLost film
A lost film is a feature film or short film that is no longer known to exist in studio archives, private collections or public archives such as the Library of Congress, where at least one copy of all American films are deposited and catalogued for copyright reasons...
. The original screenplay has also been lost. However, some plot descriptions are still known based on contemporary newspaper advertisements of the film.
As the name would indicate, the film tells about two local men who are making moonshine
Moonshine
Moonshine is an illegally produced distilled beverage...
in the woods. A customer comes to them, and while sampling the product they start a game of cards, which eventually leads to a fight. While the fight is going on, the local police shows up and arrests the makers while the customer manages to escape.