Arnold Fanck (6 March 1889 – 28 September 1974) was a German

film director A film director controls a film's artistic and dramatic aspects and visualizes the screenplay (or script) while guiding the film crew and actors in the fulfilment of that vision. The director has a key role in choosing the cast members, pr ...

and pioneer of the

mountain film A mountain film is a film genre that focuses on mountaineering and especially the battle of human against nature. In addition to mere adventure, the protagonists who return from the mountain come back changed, usually gaining wisdom and enlighten ...

genre. He is best known for the extraordinary alpine footage he captured in such films as '' The Holy Mountain'' (1926), '' The White Hell of Pitz Palu'' (1929), ''

Storm over Mont Blanc A storm is any disturbed state of the natural environment or the atmosphere of an astronomical body. It may be marked by significant disruptions to normal conditions such as strong wind, tornadoes, hail, thunder and lightning (a thunderst ...

'' (1930), '' The White Ecstasy'' (1931), and '' S.O.S. Eisberg'' (1933). Fanck was also instrumental in launching the careers of several filmmakers during the

Weimar Weimar is a city in the state of Thuringia, Germany. It is located in Central Germany between Erfurt in the west and Jena in the east, approximately southwest of Leipzig, north of Nuremberg and west of Dresden. Together with the neighbouri ...

years in Germany, including

Leni Riefenstahl Helene Bertha Amalie "Leni" Riefenstahl (; 22 August 1902 – 8 September 2003) was a German film director, photographer and actress known for her role in producing Nazi propaganda. A talented swimmer and an artist, Riefenstahl also became in ...

Luis Trenker Luis Trenker (born Alois Franz Trenker, 4 October 1892 – 13 April 1990) was a South Tyrolean film producer, director, writer, actor, architect, alpinist, and bobsledder. Biography Early life Alois Franz Trenker was born on 4 October 1892 in ...

, and cinematographers

Sepp Allgeier Josef “Sepp” Allgeier (6 February 1895 – 11 March 1968) was a German cinematographer who worked on around fifty features, documentaries and short films. He began his career as a cameraman in 1911 for the Expreß Film Co. of Freiburg. In 19 ...

, Richard Angst,

Hans Schneeberger Hans Schneeberger (7 April 1895 – 19 November 1971) was an Austrian cinematographer who worked on over eighty films during his career. During the 1920s and early 1930s Schneeberger worked frequently with the director Arnold Fanck, including film ...

, and Walter Riml.Inkster 2012, p. 19.

Biography

Arnold fanck + elisabeth kind 1933 greenland

Arnold Fanck was born on 6 March 1889 in

Frankenthal Frankenthal (Pfalz) ( pfl, Frongedahl) is a town in southwestern Germany, in the state of Rhineland-Palatinate. History Frankenthal was first mentioned in 772. In 1119 an Augustinian monastery was built here, the ruins of which — known, af ...

, Germany. Together with Odo Deodatus Tauern, Bernhard Villinger and Rolf Bauer, Fanck established the company "Berg- und Sportfilm GmbH Freiburg" in Freiburg im Breisgau in 1920. Fanck, who held a

PhD PHD or PhD may refer to: * Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), an academic qualification Entertainment * '' PhD: Phantasy Degree'', a Korean comic series * '' Piled Higher and Deeper'', a web comic * Ph.D. (band), a 1980s British group ** Ph.D. (Ph.D. al ...

geology Geology () is a branch of natural science concerned with Earth and other Astronomical object, astronomical objects, the features or rock (geology), rocks of which it is composed, and the processes by which they change over time. Modern geology ...

, directed mountain films,

sports film A sports film is a film genre in which any particular sport plays a prominent role in the film's plot or acts as its central theme. It is a production in which a sport, sporting event, athlete (and their sport), or follower of sport (and the s ...

s and ski films. He was assisted by

, a

cameraman A camera operator, or depending on the context cameraman or camerawoman, is a professional operator of a film camera or video camera as part of a film crew. The term "cameraman" does not imply that a male is performing the task. In filmmaki ...

who later worked with

, and worked mostly in the

Alps The Alps () ; german: Alpen ; it, Alpi ; rm, Alps ; sl, Alpe . are the highest and most extensive mountain range system that lies entirely in Europe, stretching approximately across seven Alpine countries (from west to east): France, Sw ...

in locations such as the

Engadin The Engadin or Engadine ( rm, ;This is the name in the two Romansh idioms that are spoken in the Engadin, Vallader and Puter, as well as in Sursilvan and Rumantsch Grischun. In Surmiran, the name is ''Nagiadegna'', and in Sutsilvan, it is ...

Zermatt Zermatt () is a municipality in the district of Visp in the German-speaking section of the canton of Valais in Switzerland. It has a year-round population of about 5,800 and is classified as a town by the Swiss Federal Statistical Office (FSO) ...

and the Arlberg and on mountains such as

Mont Blanc Mont Blanc (french: Mont Blanc ; it, Monte Bianco , both meaning "white mountain") is the highest mountain in the Alps and Western Europe, rising above sea level. It is the second-most prominent mountain in Europe, after Mount Elbrus, and ...

and Piz Palü. His most popular and successful films of the period between the wars include '' The Holy Mountain'' (1926), '' The White Hell of Pitz Palu'' (1929), ''

'' (1930), '' The White Ecstasy'' (1931), and '' S.O.S. Eisberg'' (1933)—all starring

. During the

Nazi regime Nazi Germany (lit. "National Socialist State"), ' (lit. "Nazi State") for short; also ' (lit. "National Socialist Germany") (officially known as the German Reich from 1933 until 1943, and the Greater German Reich from 1943 to 1945) was ...

, Fanck got in trouble with propaganda minister

Joseph Goebbels Paul Joseph Goebbels (; 29 October 1897 – 1 May 1945) was a German Nazi politician who was the '' Gauleiter'' (district leader) of Berlin, chief propagandist for the Nazi Party, and then Reich Minister of Propaganda from 1933 to ...

, since he refused to cooperate — apparently because of the necessity of joining the party. In 1934, he also began working on his film, ''

The Eternal Dream ''The Eternal Dream'' (german: Der ewige Traum) is a 1934 German historical film directed by Arnold Fanck and starring Sepp Rist and Brigitte Horney.Hinton p. 18 The film's sets were designed by the art directors Robert Herlth and Werner Schlich ...

'', which not only starred a

French French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents ** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...

hero A hero (feminine: heroine) is a real person or a main fictional character who, in the face of danger, combats adversity through feats of ingenuity, courage, or strength. Like other formerly gender-specific terms (like ''actor''), ''her ...

in French mountains, but also had a

Jewish Jews ( he, יְהוּדִים, , ) or Jewish people are an ethnoreligious group and nation originating from the Israelites Israelite origins and kingdom: "The first act in the long drama of Jewish history is the age of the Israelites""The ...

producer, Gregor Rabinovitch. This conflict brought Fanck into economic difficulties, from which he was only able to escape by accepting a contract from the

Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the n ...

ese ministry of culture in 1936. With '' The Daughter of the Samurai'' and other "culture films", Fanck decided to cooperate with the Nazi regime. Soon afterwards, he produced '' A German Robinson Crusoe'' (1938/40) a

propaganda film A propaganda film is a film that involves some form of propaganda. Propaganda films spread and promote certain ideas that are usually religious, political, or cultural in nature. A propaganda film is made with the intent that the viewer will ad ...

for Bavaria Filmkunst. Arnold Fanck joined the

NSDAP The Nazi Party, officially the National Socialist German Workers' Party (german: Nationalsozialistische Deutsche Arbeiterpartei or NSDAP), was a far-right political party in Germany active between 1920 and 1945 that created and supported t ...

in April 1940. In 1944 he made a documentary about the sculptor

Arno Breker Arno Breker (19 July 1900 – 13 February 1991) was a German architect and sculptor who is best known for his public works in Nazi Germany, where they were endorsed by the authorities as the antithesis of degenerate art. He was made offici ...

called ''Arno Breker – Harte Zeit, starke Kunst''.Aitken, Ian (2013
''The Concise Routledge Encyclopedia of the Documentary Film''
Routledge , pg 245 After

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...

, Fanck's main films made during the regime were proscribed by the Allied military governments. Fanck received no further job offers and went to work as a

lumberjack Lumberjacks are mostly North American workers in the logging industry who perform the initial harvesting and transport of trees for ultimate processing into forest products. The term usually refers to loggers in the era (before 1945 in the Unite ...

. After the screening of his film ''The Eternal Dream'' at the mountain film festival in

Trento Trento ( or ; Ladin and lmo, Trent; german: Trient ; cim, Tria; , ), also anglicized as Trent, is a city on the Adige River in Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol in Italy. It is the capital of the autonomous province of Trento. In the 16th centu ...

in 1957, Fanck was once again recognized for his artistic achievements. In order to survive his economic difficulties, however, he was forced to sell the rights to his films to a friend, until TV broadcasts improved his situation. Fanck died on 28 September 1974 in

Freiburg im Breisgau Freiburg im Breisgau (; abbreviated as Freiburg i. Br. or Freiburg i. B.; Low Alemannic: ''Friburg im Brisgau''), commonly referred to as Freiburg, is an independent city in Baden-Württemberg, Germany. With a population of about 230,000 (as o ...

, Germany, at the age of 85. He is buried in the Hauptfriedhof in Freiburg.

Filmography

* ' (1920, documentary) * ' (1921) * ''Das Wunder des Schneeschuhs, 2. Teil – Eine Fuchsjagd auf Skiern durchs Engadin'' (1922) * ''Pömperlys Kampf mit dem Schneeschuh'' (co-director: Holger-Madsen, 1922) * '' Mountain of Destiny'' (1924) * ' (1924, short documentary) * ''Die weiße Kunst'' (dir.

, 1925, documentary) * '' The Holy Mountain'' (1926) * '' The Great Leap'' (1927) * '' Struggle for the Matterhorn'' (dir.

Mario Bonnard Mario Bonnard (24 December 1889 – 22 March 1965) was an Italian actor and film director. Bonnard was born and died in Rome. He began his cinematic career as an actor becoming a popular romantic lead in numerous silent films made before World ...

and Nunzio Malasomma, 1928), co-wrote * ''

The White Stadium ''The White Stadium'' (German: ''Das weiße Stadion'') is a 1928 Swiss documentary film directed by Arnold Fanck about the 1928 Winter Olympics which were held in the Swiss resort of St. Moritz. The film received the backing of the International ...

'' (1928, documentary) * '' Milak, the Greenland Hunter'' (dir.

Georg Asagaroff Georg Asagaroff (1892–1957) was a Russian-born actor and film director.Bock & Bergfelder p. 211 He left Russia following the 1917 Revolution and settled in Germany where he directed several films. Selected filmography * '' After Death'' (1915) ...

and , 1928) * '' The White Hell of Pitz Palu'' (co-director: G. W. Pabst, 1929) * ''

'' (1930) * '' The White Ecstasy'' (1931) * '' S.O.S. Eisberg'' (1933) * '' North Pole, Ahoy'' (dir.

Andrew Marton Andrew Marton (born Endre Marton; 26 January 1904 – 7 January 1992) was a Hungarian-American film director. In his career, he directed 39 films and television programs, and worked on 16 as a second unit director, including the chariot race in ...

, 1934) * ''Die Seehunde'' (1934, short) * ''

'' (1934) * '' The Daughter of the Samurai'' (1937) * ''Winterreise durch Südmandschurien'' (1938, short documentary) * ''Kaiserbauten in Fernost'' (1938, short documentary) * ''Hänschen Klein'' (1938, short) * '' A German Robinson Crusoe'' (1940) * ''Kampf um den Berg'' (1941, short) * ' (1943, short documentary) * ' (1944, short documentary) * ''Atlantik-Wall'' (1944, short documentary)

Retrospective films

* ''In Eis und Schnee – Der Filmregisseur Arnold Fanck'' (1997) directed by Hans-Jürgen Panitz * ''Zwischen weißem Rausch und Abgrund: Über Arnold Fanck, den Extremregisseur'' (1998) directed by Andreas Berg

References

Notes Bibliography * Fanck, Arnold; Schneider, Hannes (1925
''Wunder des Schneeschuhs; ein System des richtigen Skilaufens und seine Anwendung im alpinen Geländelauf''
Hamburg: Gebrüder Enoch. ; reprint * Baader, Ernst Wilhelm; Schneeberger, Hans; Allgeier, Sepp; Fanck, Arnold; Arató, Gyula (1926) ''Wunder des Schneeschuhs Sprunglauf, Langlauf'', Hamburg: Gebrüder Enoch * Fanck, Arnold (1929) ''Die bruchlose Deformation von Fossilien durch tektonischen Druck und ihr Einfluss auf die Bestimmung der Arten. Beobachtet und bearbeitet an den Pelecypoden der St. Galler Meeresmolasse''. Zürich: Fretz * Fanck, Arnold (1932) ''Das Bilderbuch des Skiläufers. - 284 kinematografische Bilder vom Skilauf mit Erläuterungen und einer Einführung in eine neue Bewegungs-Fotografie''. Hamburg: Gebrüder Enoch * Fanck, Arnold (1973) ''Er fuhrte Regie mit Gletschern, Sturmen und Lawinen; ein Filmpionier erzahlt'' München: Nymphenburger Verlagshandlung * Haarstark, Gunther (1990) ''Dramatische Berge. Der Filmregisseur Dr. Arnold Fanck'', Frankfurt M., Magisterarbeit * Horak, Jan-Christopher with Pichler, Gisela, eds. (1997) ''Berge, Licht und Traum. Dr. Arnold Fanck und der deutsche Bergfilm'' München: Bruckmann * Rapp, Christian (1997) ''Höhenrausch. Der deutsche Bergfilm'' Wien: Sonderzahl * Bock, Hans-Michael and Bergfelder, Tim (eds) (2009
''The Concise Cinegraph: Encyclopaedia of German Cinema''
Berghahn Books pg 116 - 117 * Fanck, Matthias (2009) ''Arnold Fanck. Weisse Hölle – weisser Rausch. Bergfilme und Bergbilder 1909 – 1939''. AS-Verlag, Zürich * Inkster, Darlene (2012
Film Pioneers: Arnold Fanck
pg 18-21 in ''Directory of World Cinema: Germany'' edited by Michelle Langford, Intellect Books * Haque, Kamaal (2012
Genre of the Mountain Film
in ''A New History of German Cinema'' edited by Jennifer M. Kapczynski, Michael David Richardson; Boydell & Brewe pp 142–147

External links

Photo Gallery
*
The case of Arnold Fanck
by Béla Balázs
Article by Thomas StaedeliFilm's Role in Popularizing Alpine Skiing in America
by Rick Moulton

by Donald G. Daviau * ttp://www.filmportal.de/person/arnold-fanck_7b6bac083afb40e1b6309f99a6384638 Arnold Fanckbiography, filmography and photos at

filmportal.de filmportal.de is an online database of information related to German film. It includes extensive information on films and filmmakers as well as articles on film issues. The website was released on occasion of the 54th Berlin International Film Fe ...

Arnold Fanck
at MUBI *
Der weisse Rausch. Actor Walter Riml as the tall Hamburger carpenter
{{DEFAULTSORT:Fanck, Arnold Mountaineering film directors Nazi propagandists People from the Palatinate (region) Film people from Freiburg im Breisgau 1889 births 1974 deaths