Political Messages Embedded in Cultural Promotion
The United States’ Short Film Operations in Finland, 1948–1970
Abstract
This article examines the United States’ short film operations in Finland during the early decades of the Cold War. It focuses on the operations’ main objectives and execution in Finland’s exceptional environment. The main emphasis lies on films of a political nature. The primary research sources consist of documents produced by American governmental agencies and American films screened specifically in Finland. The research method combines a critical examination of past events and a recognition of the observed films’ essential messages.
The article reveals that film operations formed an essential part of American informational and cultural operations in Finland. A large number of films were shown to audiences throughout the study period, and the Americans were successful at reaching their target audiences. Most of the screened films presented American society in somewhat neutral fashion, but the more political ones placed a more direct emphasis on the role of the US as the leader of the free world, also transmitting anti-communist messages. Although contents interpreted as anti-Soviet were occasionally censored by the Finnish authorities, the Americans were able to distribute political messages regarded as sensitive in Finland often more efficiently through films than through other media.
Keywords: United States, Finland, films, Cold War, political propaganda, cultural diplomacy
