The Discret Charm of Cartoon Education. State-Sponsorship of Czechoslovak Short Films in the late 1940s and early 1950s
| Authors | |
|---|---|
| Year of publication | 2014 |
| Type | Article in Periodical |
| Magazine / Source | Zeitgeschichte |
| MU Faculty or unit | |
| Citation | |
| Field | Mass media, audiovision |
| Keywords | Czech short film; nonfiction film; sponsored film; cartoon film; health education |
| Description | This study gives an overview of sponsored filmmaking in Czechoslovakia and concentrates primarily on the organization of state sponsorship in the post-war era. In the late 1940s and early 1950s Czechoslovak cinema was nationalized and government contracts accounted for most of the short film productions. Individual Ministries commissioned the films' topics, oversaw the development of screenplays and provided expert supervision. I focus on two series of Sponsored Films for the Ministry of Health to highlight the specific role of animation in government contracts. Since the series wer produced between 1946 and 1951, they span the period of the so-called liberal Third Republic (1945–1948) and the rise of the Communist Party in 1948. Therefore their inquiry allows comparison of the films' modes of production with the attitudes and rhetorical strategies of the authorities to identify changes brought forth by the Communist Party's takeover. |
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