Archive Watch

Crossroads of the Americas: Colombia (1940)

1940 · Short film · 25 min

Watch now On the Internet Archive

Synopsis

This film by Julien Bryan and Irving Lerner, one of many films made to promote inter-American friendship during WWII, showcases the nation of Colombia. Julien Bryan narrates (:17). The population was about 9 million at the time (:31). About 5% is black, another 5% is native Indian and the remaining 55% is of mixed Spanish and Indian descent (1:03). Large division exist in wealth and education (1:08). Colombia was named for Christopher Columbus (1:13). Colombia’s principal ports (1:57) and cities are highlighted on a map (2:12). Much of the population resides in the three principal fingers of the Andes (2:50). Churches were erected as gold miners settled the area (4:08). Members of a local Indian tribe are seen (4:12) practicing the Catholic faith they had been indoctrinated into (4:26). The town prepares for a special Feast Day (4:58). The celebration is comprised of bull fights (5:10), native tribes dancing sacred dances in the streets (5:25) and masked parade goers (5:38). El Carmen Church is spotted in the historic center of Bogota (5:58). The head of the church; Ismael Borrero, was also the Archbishop of Bogota (6:10). The city is known as the center of life (6:38). Shops line the streets (7:16). Theaters show films from the US including ‘The Invisible Woman’ released in 1940 (7:23) starring John Barrymore. A book shop is highlighted (7:30) as book shops were more common than restaurants. Friends enter the luxurious home of the elite Ramirez family (7:54). Traditional…

Uploader's description on archive.org

Details

Running time
25 minutes
Collection
Ephemeral Films

Subjects on the Internet Archive

More like this