Nasjonalbiblioteket - Cultural Souvenir Films

>> View collection  The state-financed Cultural Souvenir Films were produced by The National Film Board of Norway (established in 1948), and were part of a public enlightenment programme of the new social democracy, where old Norwegian customs were central to rebuilding a national identity after WWII. The Cultural Souvenir films were made primarily for educational purposes, with the aim of distributing knowledge about traditional Norwegian crafts and ways of living – for example how to make national costumes, brown cheese, or skis.

 
The didactic and informative films were distributed to educational institutions across the country. The logical progress of the work process provides the narrative in the films that often feature an explanatory voice-over in the Norwegian dialect that coheres with the region where the particular craft, tradition, or artifact in the film is from. While the films are no longer distributed to educational institutions, they are still in-demand as how-to manuals for many Norwegian crafts.