Wednesday, May 22, 2013

Herrain herkku jokamiehen ruuaksi / [A Gourmet Item for Everybody's Dinner Table] 2K DCP (KAVA 2013)

Från festmat till husmanskost. FI 1936. PC: Suomi-Filmi. D: Valentin Vaala. DP: Theodor Luts, Arvo Tamminen. C: Ansa Ikonen, Tauno Majuri, Topo Leistelä (maître d'), Kaija Suonio. Perf: Uula Miilus. 10 min. KAVA 2K DCP (2013) viewed at Cinema Orion, Helsinki (Digital Restorations), 22 May 2013

Elonet: "The 1930s were the pioneer decade of Finnish commercials. This short directed by Valentin Vaala was produced to promote reindeer meat and granted a tax reduction status even though it was a commercial. Incorporated is excellent footage from a previous anthropological documentary about Lapland. A young couple in Helsinki gets a taste for reindeer meat which is clean and healthy and tastier than grouse breast." (My translation).

The best part of this picture is the anthropological footage from Lapland. Nature footage is difficult for digital, but here I found myself admiring the fine detail in the footage of the reindeer herds, the smoke, the forest, the fountain, the snowploughing, the log fire, the lassoing, and the corralling. The presentation of the preparation of a delicious reindeer steak is graphic and appetizing. A fun commercial. Visual quality: the fine detail is impressive; there is a slightly low contrast look, but this is not a criticism, just a statement: it has clearly been the goal to expose maximum detail.

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