丹麦小村教堂

　　ThehistoryofDanishcountrychurcharchitectureistoldbyshowingscenesofhowthechurchwasusedbythecongregation,beginningwiththecelebrationofmassinasmallandsimplewoodenchurch800yearsago,andendingwiththecongregationsinginginavillagechurchofto-day.Thedevelopmentandthegrowthofthepatternofchurcharchitectureisshown.
　　Dreyerinthisfilmshowsaseriesofchurchesfromdifferentperiodswithchurchgoersinperiodclothing.Eachperiodisseparatedbyashotofachurchbelldouble-exposedonthesky.Althoughthefilmhasavibrantandinstructivewayofcommunicatingthedifferentepochsandstylestostudents,itdoesnotexhibittheartisticqualitythatusuallydistinguishesaDreyerfilm,exceptperhapsinsomeofthecostumes,whichwereoriginallymadeforDayofWrath.
　　TheboardofDanskKulturfilminautumn1945decidedthattheirplannedchurchfilmwouldexclusivelybeaboutvillagechurches.Dreyerwouldreworkthescriptthatwaswrittenbyeditorandfolkhigh-schoolprincipalBernhardJensen,aidedbyacommitteeofexpertsconsistingofarchitectH.Lønborg-JensenandVictorHermansen,curatorattheNationalMuseumofDenmark.Dreyerhadafirstdraftreadyinmid-March,entitledKirkeneretgammeltHus("TheChurchIsanOldHouse"),whichwasdistributedtothemembersofthecommitteefortheircomments.
　　InthelasthalfofJuly,DreyerandVictorHermansentravelledthecountrytolookatsuitablechurches.TheyresearchedthedetailsandatDreyer’srequestanumberoftechnicalchangesweremadetothechurches,includingtheremovalofporcelainholdersforelectricalwiringinTvejeMerløseChurch.
　　On4July,DreyerwentinadvancetoRingkøbing.Shootingwassettostartafewdayslaterwiththearrivalofthedirectorofphotography,PrebenFrank,whohadfallenoffaladderandbrokenhisleg,Fortunately,hewasreadytocautiouslystartworkingagainwithinafewdays,withhisleginacast.
　　Otherwise,theproductionwentwithoutaglitch.Everywhere,Dreyersaid,theywerewellreceivedatthevicaragesandtheyhadnoproblemgettingenoughextras.On1august,theyreturnedtoCopenhagenwithalmostalltheirfootageinthecan.TheyonlyneededtofilmthechurchinSkelby,wheretheweatherhadbeenagainstthem,plusaSwedishwoodenchurchinHedared.Theeconomywasdistressedsosoonafterthewar,especiallywhenitcametoforeigncurrency,buttherewerenorealwoodenchurchesleftinDenmarkandbuildinganinteriorsetinthestudiowouldbetooexpensive.
　　Thefinishedfilmwasshownforthefirsttimeon24September1947toasmall,closedcircle,whichincludedtheMinisterforEcclesiasticalAffairs.InDecember1947,aswasDanskKulturfilm’sstandardpractice,thefilmwaspresentedtothepress,politiciansandothersonaprogrammewithfourothershortfilms.