All Films

Unser Kaiser im Felde

1917 • 15 min • Germany

Wooden Shoes

1917 • 50 min • United States of America

Pampy lives in a quaint little Dutch village, where she supports her invalid father by selling flowers to tourists. Pampy is so beautiful that she provides inspiration to Donald Luther, an American artist who is visiting the village, and at his request, poses for him. Just as his interest starts to blossom into love, he is called away for two weeks. During his absence Pampy's father dies, leaving her only with directions to her wealthy grandfather's home in New York.

Das Säugetier

1917 • 8 min • Germany

German propaganda film that mocks the expansion of the British colonies in South Africa, Egypt, India and Jamaica. The film is true to a more serious tone than the stocky British John Bull becomes a giant squid that sends out its tentacles all over the world, and so triggers an attack by German submarines, aircraft and an airship. "The mammal" is an interesting example of early German animated film.

Grube Cecilie

1917 • 14 min • Germany

Stanislaus Krestowsky lives in a border town close to Germany where he works as a day laborer. He hears about job opportunities at the coal-mine Cecilie in Lützendorf and decides to move there with his family. After one year of working at the coal-mine he has considerably raised his standard of living. A substantial part of the film shows how briquets are manufactured.

The Last Night

1917 • 40 min • Hungary

Gitta, a young woman who used to be a famous primadonna before her marriage, abandons her husband and her son for the sake of the theatre and goes to Russia with an actor, Vándori. She performs in cabaret as a dancer and is very popular with Russian officers. A Russian colonel falls in love with her, and the debauched Vándori organizes a secret date for the colonel with Gitta. The colonel wants the woman to become his mistress, but she rejects him. Vándori is a gambler, first he gambles away Gitta’s jewellery, then Gitta as well. Years later, at the outbreak of WWI, Gitta leaves Russia with the help of the colonel. She returns home to find her family. She learns about her husband’s death and her son’s disappearance. She becomes a successful actress. A young man falls in love with her, but she recognizes him as her son.

China and the Chinese, No. 2

1917 • 16 min

Part 2, found at the New Zealand Film Archive, zeros in on urban Chinese workers—peddlers, barbers, cooks, street performers, laborers, and rickshaw drivers—and includes scenic views of Hankou and Chongqing from the water. Today, just watching the street traffic is fascinating.

Polidor and the Wig

1917 • 12 min

The little Agenore combines a lot of trouble to family friend Ilario Mentecatti (Natale Guillaume).

Captain Grogg at the North Pole

1917 • 8 min • Sweden

Captain Grogg and his helper encounter a polar bear while on a trip to the North Pole. It chases them, they feed it alcohol so that it gets drunk, then they all dance.

With Our Heroes on the Somme

1917 • 53 min • Germany

The propaganda documentary film shows the German army in 1916 during preparations and combat operations during one of the biggest battles of the First World War.

Lily et Teddy au bains de mer

1917 • 3 min • France, Germany

Pathé production, depicting the activities of two toddlers at the Beach.

Londen in Oorlogstijd

1917 • 7 min

There's little sign of war in this attractively tinted film of London landmarks (the Dutch intertitles are mostly self-explanatory), but the film's propagandist intention becomes clear with the knowledge it was shot on 26 September 1917, immediately after a sustained German bombing campaign. The wreckage of a bombed-out house appears halfway through, but for the rest of the film London is depicted as essentially timeless - and, more importantly, intact. [...] -BFI

Bobby Bumps, Chef

1917 • 6 min

A little boy and his beloved puppy find themselves in and out of mischief.

The Latest Kinks in Canning

1917 • 5 min • United States of America

This short film about home-canning demonstrations sponsored by the New York State Woman Suffrage Party was made at the Bray Farm in Highland, Dutchess County, New York. Although it is over a hundred years old, the film remains relevant today. In 1917, women in New York State won the right to vote. The film cheekily notes that while the association hoped to enhance the ability of women in farm areas to improve their food conservation, it also looked for suffrage converts as well.

Queen Among the Tanks: Topical Budget 319-1

1917 • 1 min • United Kingdom

Soldiers in France demonstrate the workings of a tank to Queen Mary. Included on the BFI DVD "A Royal Occasion".

With the Queen at Woolwich: Topical Budget 322-1

1917 • 1 min • United Kingdom

Queen Mary and Princess Mary visit women workers at Woolwich dockyard. Included on the BFI DVD "A Royal Occasion".

Roses for the Rose Queen: Topical Budget 304-2

1917 • 1 min • United Kingdom

Flower girls hand baskets of flowers to Queen Alexandra on 'Rose Day'. Included on the BFI DVD "A Royal Occasion".

Fruit Harvest in the Netherlands

1917 • 13 min • Netherlands

The harvest of gooseberries, apples, pears, and cherries. The film includes shots of the fruit-picking – by men, women and children – as well as the transport and the auction. The images of the harvest are interspersed with idyllic pictures of flowers, grazing cows, and young women eating cherries.

L'enfant terrible

1917 • 12 min • Italy

The Life of the Bees

1917 • 24 min • Netherlands

A popular-scientific film about beekeeping. The beekeeper Jan Luberti gives a tour of his Bijenlust bee farm near The Hague, Netherlands, and shows the many aspects of keeping bees, and how they make honey.

From Here and There in Haarlem

1917 • 29 min • Netherlands

This film shows Haarlem, Netherlands, at its best: the St. Bavo Cathedral, street scenes, historic buildings, and beautiful parks and villas. Many of these shots were filmed from sailing boats, moving trams, and a church tower.

Altrincham & District War Hospital Supply Depot (C.1917)

1917 • 3 min

Nurses preparing war supplies at the supply depot, Denzell House Altrincham, circa 1917, Filmed by Ronald Gow.

The Mother

1917 • 55 min

Giuseppe Sterni directs and Italia Vitaliani stars in the Italian Golden Age drama.

Ice Skating Fun in North Holland's Waterland

1917 • 4 min • Netherlands

The inhabitants of Amsterdam enjoy themselves on the ice on the Herengracht. Skaters in Amsterdam get ready for their trip to Monnickendam and Marken. Along the way, the skaters pass by Ilpendam. In Broek in Waterland, skaters cross a bridge to reach another piece of ice. A cake-and-snacks stand sells hot chocolate.

Dalsland's Canal

1917 • 13 min • Sweden

Following the boat Capella as it makes its way through and around the Dalsland canal.