Four stills

Elskovsleg
R: Holger-Madsen. B: Arthur Schnitzler (“Liebelei”). D: Valdemar Psilander, Else Froehlich, Augusta Blad. P: Nordisk. Dk 1913/14

“Holger-Madsen‘s reputation as an idealistic director led him to direct the big prestige films with pacifist themes which Ole Olsen, the head of Nordisk Films Kompagni, wanted to make in the naive hope that he could influence the fighting powers in the First World War. The films were often absurdly simple, but Holger-Madsen brought his artistic sense to the visual design of these sentimental stories. One of his most famous films is Himmelskibet from 1917, a work about a scientist who flies to Mars in a rocket ship. There he is confronted with a peaceful civilization. The film has obtained a position as one of the first science–fiction films.
When the Danish cinema declined, Holger-Madsen went to Germany. Returning to Denmark after the 1920s, he was offered the opportunity of directing during the early sound film period, but his productions were insignificant. He was a silent film director; the image was his domain, and he was one of the craftsmen who molded and refined the visual language of film.”
Film Reference

>>> Holger-Madsen 01

TRAUM UND EXZESS, S. 297