Vandet på landet (1946) - full transcript
This reconstruction of Carl Th. Dreyer's
movie Water from the land from 1946
is made on the basis of a gallery of
stills and unedited audio recordings.
Water from the land
- Tell me, Mr engineer, where do
water come from? - From the sky.
- I thought it came from the ground.
- No. Water comes from the sky.
- But how? - Water soaks down into
the ground and is later pumped back up.
- Sorry, I do not get it.
- It is not so difficult.
- Water soaks into the ground until it
reaches an impermeable layer of soil.
Here it remains. This layer of
water is called the groundwater.
- I see. But then the water must be very
dirty after soaking through the soil?
- I figured you would not understand.
Groundwater is very pure and germ-free.
- I do not get it.
- I will explain.
As rainwater soaks down it is filtered
such that it contains no germs.
- You whistle every time you
understand something? - Precisely.
- So wells are made to bring up
the groundwater? - Exactly.
- That is great.
- I could be, but it is not.
- Why not?
- The doctor will explain that.
- Hello Mr Doctor.
- Hello.
*Scene missing*
- Countryside wells are in poor shape.
- Is that so? - Yes. Today one half of
the countrymen drink insanitary water.
- Please repeat. - Half the countrymen
drink insanitary water on a daily basis.
- That sounds scary.
- It is.
- But why is this so? - Most places
the wells are in a wretched state.
- What is that?
- That is Ole Hansen's farm in Kvieb?k.
- Why do we go there?
- I want to show you a poor well.
- That sounds interesting?
- It will be. I promise.
- Let us lift the well cover.
- That is disgusting.
- Exactly. Look at the wood-louses.
- I hope they do not fall into the well.
- They probably will.
- There is an earthworm.
- It might also fall into the well.
But you will see much worse sights.
- Let us close the well again.
- Yes. Let us look at the cover itself.
- It is a little worn.
- I would rather say rotten.
And it is covered in dirt.
- Where do the dirt come from?
- You will see.
- Oh, the cat is cute.
- Look at the mans feet instead.
- He put his foot in it.
- Yes. Now he goes to the well.
- Is she washing diapers?
- Yes.
- Now she steps in the dirty water.
- She is probably heading for the well.
- Probably.
- Oh, he is in dire straights.
- Or a sick person transmitting
his germs to the well.
- Yes.
A heartwarming room.
- There is a bucket.
It has to be emptied.
- Where does he take it?
- Probably to the dung heap as usual.
Trouble arises if there is
a sick person on the farm.
Because sooner or later the germs of
the sick person will go to the well.
- May I see inside the well?
- Certainly.
- Crikey!
- That is just a dead rat.
- Yikes. It does look sick as a dog.
- You should rather say sick as a rat.
- And what is that?
- A toad.
It will probably fall down to the rat.
- They would make a nice couple.
- Do you see the slimy walls?
- Where do all that moisture come from?
- It seeps in from the surroundings.
The engineer knows more about this.
- The dung heap lies near the well.
This is pictures of the real dung heap.
- What is on the other side of the well?
- That is a sewage pipe.
- Is there anything wrong with it?
- You will see.
- Perhaps the pipes do not seal tightly?
- Bravo. You are starting to catch up.
- Thank you.
- See how filth seeps in from both sides.
Do you know why?
- Because the walls are not water-tight?
- Correct. You get top marks.
- But the water from the faucet
is clear. - Do not be fooled.
Clear water can contain many germs. Many
illnesses can spread through water.
Typhoid, paratyphoid, Weil's disease,
dysentery, even infantile paralysis.
- Yikes!
- Is she washing strawberries?
- Yes. In water from the dung heap.
- She is not aware of that.
- No. Fortunately for her.
She does not know either, that she
brushes teeth in sewage water. - No.
- It is washing day.
- If he just knew about the dead rat.
- Yikes!
"Cleanliness is a good thing", ...
- the woman thinks, while she cools...
...the bathing water with dirty water.
Watch this.
The germ-filled sponge goes
into the mouth. - Yikes!
- How do you know,
that the water is full of the germs?
- That can be seen with a microscope.
Do you want to see? - Yes please.
That is a funny chap.
- That is the rotifer.
- I see.
- That is the rotifer's wife.
- I see, the small one.
- In a moment a nasty
fellow will turn up. Watch.
There he is. It is the sludge worm.
- He would be nice to have in your cup?
- Indeed. The water contains germs,
when these three animals are present.
- The danger is imminent. - Countless
dangers exist, when germs are present.
- Are you not exaggerating?
- Absolutely not.
- Suppose the water is used
to clean milk cans, then...
...typhoid germs will get into the milk.
- Then what will happen?
- In ten hours a single typhoid germ...
...can multiply into a million.
- Blimey!
- Yes.
Here you see the result.
An epidemic breaks out.
*Typhoid in Kvieb?k*
*The epidemic in Kvieb?k grows*
*167 cases last week*
*Source of infection in Kvieb?k found*
*Typhoid germs in the milk
from Ole Hansen's farm*
- Something should be done.
- Of course.
*The milk epidemic in Kvieb?k*
*Typhoid germs came from well water*
- But what?
- It is best to build small waterworks.
- Is that not very expensive?
- No. A waterworks for
20 farms costs 15000 Kr.
- How do you get such a waterworks?
- The community can seek help from...
...the country commission. Then a well
driller and a suitable spot is found.
- What is the tube used for?
- The tube is stuck into the ground.
Inside the tube a chisel
hammers the earth loose.
Afterwards a pump is lead into the tube
and the loose earth is sucked up.
- What happens when the good
groundwater is found?
- Then a waterworks
is built on top of the hole.
- What is happening? - The water
is aerated and iron is removed.
- Here it is filtered and pumped
out to the farms. - I see.
- It is my turn! Owing to waterworks
countrymen now have running water,...
...bathrooms and showers just like
city-dwellers. - That is right.
- The kitchen has hot and cold water.
- Even the cows are serviced.
- Then it is not difficult to be a cow?
- No. Exactly.
- Why do we return here?
- I will tell you.
Ole Hansen is getting a new well.
His farm lies too secluded to receive...
...water from the waterworks.
He builds his well properly this time.
He uses water-tight
concrete collars instead of bricks.
- Why is the new well not built
in the same place as the old?
- So filth from the dung heap and the
sewage pipe can not flow into it.
- Now it is my turn again!
Do you want to know more?
- Yes. Why do you show this movie to me?
It is for the countrymen.
- It is also for city-dwellers. You need
to inspect wells when you rent a dacha.
Did you not think of that?
- Honestly, no.
- Do you know why he puts
mortar between the collars?
- Of course. To seal the furrows
so filth can not enter. - Bravo.
- The top of the well must be above the
ground so surface water can not enter.
- He is on a roll.
- The cover must be of durable concrete.
- Bravo. - The cover must also
be sealed to avoid filth coming in.
- He is brilliant. - The well must
be placed slightly elevated,...
...so surface water flows from the well.
- My hat is off to you.
- Mine is off too.
- Yes, that is water!
Real water as we learnt about in school.
Consisting of two parts hydrogen
and one part oxygen.
- Yes.
Not like the water from the old well,...
...which consisted of two parts rotifer
and one part sludge worm.
The End
Reconstructed by KimerFilm
for Det Danske Filminstitut
movie Water from the land from 1946
is made on the basis of a gallery of
stills and unedited audio recordings.
Water from the land
- Tell me, Mr engineer, where do
water come from? - From the sky.
- I thought it came from the ground.
- No. Water comes from the sky.
- But how? - Water soaks down into
the ground and is later pumped back up.
- Sorry, I do not get it.
- It is not so difficult.
- Water soaks into the ground until it
reaches an impermeable layer of soil.
Here it remains. This layer of
water is called the groundwater.
- I see. But then the water must be very
dirty after soaking through the soil?
- I figured you would not understand.
Groundwater is very pure and germ-free.
- I do not get it.
- I will explain.
As rainwater soaks down it is filtered
such that it contains no germs.
- You whistle every time you
understand something? - Precisely.
- So wells are made to bring up
the groundwater? - Exactly.
- That is great.
- I could be, but it is not.
- Why not?
- The doctor will explain that.
- Hello Mr Doctor.
- Hello.
*Scene missing*
- Countryside wells are in poor shape.
- Is that so? - Yes. Today one half of
the countrymen drink insanitary water.
- Please repeat. - Half the countrymen
drink insanitary water on a daily basis.
- That sounds scary.
- It is.
- But why is this so? - Most places
the wells are in a wretched state.
- What is that?
- That is Ole Hansen's farm in Kvieb?k.
- Why do we go there?
- I want to show you a poor well.
- That sounds interesting?
- It will be. I promise.
- Let us lift the well cover.
- That is disgusting.
- Exactly. Look at the wood-louses.
- I hope they do not fall into the well.
- They probably will.
- There is an earthworm.
- It might also fall into the well.
But you will see much worse sights.
- Let us close the well again.
- Yes. Let us look at the cover itself.
- It is a little worn.
- I would rather say rotten.
And it is covered in dirt.
- Where do the dirt come from?
- You will see.
- Oh, the cat is cute.
- Look at the mans feet instead.
- He put his foot in it.
- Yes. Now he goes to the well.
- Is she washing diapers?
- Yes.
- Now she steps in the dirty water.
- She is probably heading for the well.
- Probably.
- Oh, he is in dire straights.
- Or a sick person transmitting
his germs to the well.
- Yes.
A heartwarming room.
- There is a bucket.
It has to be emptied.
- Where does he take it?
- Probably to the dung heap as usual.
Trouble arises if there is
a sick person on the farm.
Because sooner or later the germs of
the sick person will go to the well.
- May I see inside the well?
- Certainly.
- Crikey!
- That is just a dead rat.
- Yikes. It does look sick as a dog.
- You should rather say sick as a rat.
- And what is that?
- A toad.
It will probably fall down to the rat.
- They would make a nice couple.
- Do you see the slimy walls?
- Where do all that moisture come from?
- It seeps in from the surroundings.
The engineer knows more about this.
- The dung heap lies near the well.
This is pictures of the real dung heap.
- What is on the other side of the well?
- That is a sewage pipe.
- Is there anything wrong with it?
- You will see.
- Perhaps the pipes do not seal tightly?
- Bravo. You are starting to catch up.
- Thank you.
- See how filth seeps in from both sides.
Do you know why?
- Because the walls are not water-tight?
- Correct. You get top marks.
- But the water from the faucet
is clear. - Do not be fooled.
Clear water can contain many germs. Many
illnesses can spread through water.
Typhoid, paratyphoid, Weil's disease,
dysentery, even infantile paralysis.
- Yikes!
- Is she washing strawberries?
- Yes. In water from the dung heap.
- She is not aware of that.
- No. Fortunately for her.
She does not know either, that she
brushes teeth in sewage water. - No.
- It is washing day.
- If he just knew about the dead rat.
- Yikes!
"Cleanliness is a good thing", ...
- the woman thinks, while she cools...
...the bathing water with dirty water.
Watch this.
The germ-filled sponge goes
into the mouth. - Yikes!
- How do you know,
that the water is full of the germs?
- That can be seen with a microscope.
Do you want to see? - Yes please.
That is a funny chap.
- That is the rotifer.
- I see.
- That is the rotifer's wife.
- I see, the small one.
- In a moment a nasty
fellow will turn up. Watch.
There he is. It is the sludge worm.
- He would be nice to have in your cup?
- Indeed. The water contains germs,
when these three animals are present.
- The danger is imminent. - Countless
dangers exist, when germs are present.
- Are you not exaggerating?
- Absolutely not.
- Suppose the water is used
to clean milk cans, then...
...typhoid germs will get into the milk.
- Then what will happen?
- In ten hours a single typhoid germ...
...can multiply into a million.
- Blimey!
- Yes.
Here you see the result.
An epidemic breaks out.
*Typhoid in Kvieb?k*
*The epidemic in Kvieb?k grows*
*167 cases last week*
*Source of infection in Kvieb?k found*
*Typhoid germs in the milk
from Ole Hansen's farm*
- Something should be done.
- Of course.
*The milk epidemic in Kvieb?k*
*Typhoid germs came from well water*
- But what?
- It is best to build small waterworks.
- Is that not very expensive?
- No. A waterworks for
20 farms costs 15000 Kr.
- How do you get such a waterworks?
- The community can seek help from...
...the country commission. Then a well
driller and a suitable spot is found.
- What is the tube used for?
- The tube is stuck into the ground.
Inside the tube a chisel
hammers the earth loose.
Afterwards a pump is lead into the tube
and the loose earth is sucked up.
- What happens when the good
groundwater is found?
- Then a waterworks
is built on top of the hole.
- What is happening? - The water
is aerated and iron is removed.
- Here it is filtered and pumped
out to the farms. - I see.
- It is my turn! Owing to waterworks
countrymen now have running water,...
...bathrooms and showers just like
city-dwellers. - That is right.
- The kitchen has hot and cold water.
- Even the cows are serviced.
- Then it is not difficult to be a cow?
- No. Exactly.
- Why do we return here?
- I will tell you.
Ole Hansen is getting a new well.
His farm lies too secluded to receive...
...water from the waterworks.
He builds his well properly this time.
He uses water-tight
concrete collars instead of bricks.
- Why is the new well not built
in the same place as the old?
- So filth from the dung heap and the
sewage pipe can not flow into it.
- Now it is my turn again!
Do you want to know more?
- Yes. Why do you show this movie to me?
It is for the countrymen.
- It is also for city-dwellers. You need
to inspect wells when you rent a dacha.
Did you not think of that?
- Honestly, no.
- Do you know why he puts
mortar between the collars?
- Of course. To seal the furrows
so filth can not enter. - Bravo.
- The top of the well must be above the
ground so surface water can not enter.
- He is on a roll.
- The cover must be of durable concrete.
- Bravo. - The cover must also
be sealed to avoid filth coming in.
- He is brilliant. - The well must
be placed slightly elevated,...
...so surface water flows from the well.
- My hat is off to you.
- Mine is off too.
- Yes, that is water!
Real water as we learnt about in school.
Consisting of two parts hydrogen
and one part oxygen.
- Yes.
Not like the water from the old well,...
...which consisted of two parts rotifer
and one part sludge worm.
The End
Reconstructed by KimerFilm
for Det Danske Filminstitut