''Fortress of Peace'', originally titled ''Wehrhafte Schweiz'' in German and ''Nous pouvons nous défendre'' in French, is a Swiss
short film
A short film is any motion picture that is short enough in running time not to be considered a feature film. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences defines a short film as "an original motion picture that has a running time of 40 minutes ...
made in 1964, directed by John Fernhout and produced by
Lothar Wolff. It was nominated for the 1965
Academy Award for Best Live Action Short Film.
Summary
''Wehrhafte Schweiz'' is a
Swiss Army
The Swiss Armed Forces (german: Schweizer Armee, french: Armée suisse, it, Esercito svizzero, rm, Armada svizra; ) operates on land and in the air, serving as the primary armed forces of Switzerland. Under the country's militia system, re ...
propaganda film, made for the
Expo 64 national exhibition in the then-prevailing spirit of ''geistige Landesverteidigung'' (cultural national defense). It portrays the Swiss Army fighting against an unnamed, unseen enemy, using heavy weapons such as flamethrowers, artillery, tanks and bomber aircraft. After the enemy is repelled, the film closes with idyllic shots of beautiful Swiss landscapes. The 20-minute film was shot using the latest
action film
Action film is a film genre in which the protagonist is thrust into a series of events that typically involve violence and physical feats. The genre tends to feature a mostly resourceful hero struggling against incredible odds, which include life ...
techniques in the
Cinerama format on expensive MCS-70 Super Panorama 70mm stock.
Reception
The film was a popular success in Switzerland, attracting more than four million viewers (about two thirds of the country's population). The project, led by Major General Gustav Däniker and by Rudolf Farner, a powerful advertising executive in civilian life, was however controversial because of its exorbitant
CHF 1 million production cost, concerns about military secrecy and the use of foreign rather than Swiss creative staff. Critical opinion was mostly positive, although concerns were voiced about the film being too militaristic and aggressive, not highlighting the Swiss tradition of
militia service, and for being too reminiscent of propaganda films by foreign totalitarian regimes. In a slightly adapted form, the film was also shown abroad under the English title ''Fortress of Peace''.
Restoration
In 2014, the deteriorated film stock was restored
Historical Firearms - WEHRHAFTE SCHWEIZ / FORTRESS OF PEACE (1964)
/ref> by the Swiss Army and Memoriav, a Swiss cultural heritage association, for public screenings in Switzerland on the occasion of the 50-year anniversary of Expo 64.
References
External links
*{{IMDb title, 0059194
Official Clip
on YouTube
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1964 films
Swiss war films
Propaganda films
1964 short films