Smoking
What stands out the most is the smoking. The college is not yet out or everyone in the narrow corridors of the main building on Keizersgracht has a cigarette, cigar or pipe in their hand or mouth. At a propaganda meeting in a church, somewhere in the country, one of the visitors walks up, places his cigar on a ledge and enters, confident that after the meeting, smoking can continue. These are images from the propaganda film 'Amsterdam. Seat of de Vrije Universiteit'.
Black-and-white documentary without sound
It is a documentary shot in black-and-white without sound. The scenes are introduced by text cards. The film lasts a whopping one hour and three quarters of an hour and is 'quite a sit-down' by modern standards. But those who take the trouble to watch the film by director Dick Laan - indeed the spiritual father of Pinkeltje - stumble upon many wonderful and unexpected things.
Daily life
All of Vrije Universiteit's daily life is discussed and portrayed. First-year students, registration, lectures, the Hospitium and a PhD, in this case of Doede Nauta later professor of theology at de Vrije Universiteit. There is also ample coverage of the PI, Jan Waterink's Pedological Institute, and we see Vrije Universiteit meetings around the country, where this film was to be shot to raise money for the University. The administration is also portrayed extensively, including the splendid scene in which a hundred guilder note emerges from an envelope, which is then shown to all.
Objections to the film
De Vrije Universiteit was very modern with this method of fundraising, but apparently it was not completely self-evident either. In the Senate, some professors objected to the film, arguing that the people in the country would then see what splendid buildings de Vrije Universiteit was housed in (referring to the filming in the recently opened mathematics and physics laboratory on De Lairessestraat), which might make them less inclined to donate money.
Image of a close-knit Vrije Universiteit family
More Vrije Universiteit propaganda films have appeared, later also with sound. They all show the image of a close-knit Vrije Universiteit family, students, staff, academic staff and the 'people behind the University', who together stand shoulder to shoulder under their pride: De Vrije Universiteit.
The films can be viewed at: https://www.geheugenvandevu.nl/hoofdmenu/beeld-en-geluid/films
