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Over Mountains, Over Valleys

Name: Over Mountains, Over Valleys
Director: Karel Plicka
Released: 1930
Duration: 101 min

Representation Score

4.3/10

Fair

1930

Director

Karel Plicka

Runtime

101 minutes

Average Rating

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New Showbiz Analysis

Karel Plicka’s documentary serves as a vital ethnographic archive, preserving the customs and aesthetics of Slovakian village life. Its strength lies in its commitment to documenting a specific ethnic heritage and providing visibility to a non-Western cultural perspective through authentic observation. However, the film adheres strictly to the social and structural norms of the early 20th century. It functions as a preservation of traditional institutions rather than a subversion of them, meaning it lacks modern explorations of gender, sexuality, or institutional critique. Ultimately, the work is a historical record of communal roles. While it offers ethnic depth, it remains a traditionalist piece that reflects the social hierarchies of its time.

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Category Breakdown

Does Over Mountains, Over Valleys have LGBTQ+ representation?

Limited

The film does not include any LGBTQ+ characters or narratives. It focuses on the conventional social structures of 1930s village life.

How does Over Mountains, Over Valleys portray gender?

Fair

The documentary captures the established division of labor and social roles in rural Slovakian communities. It serves as a visual archive of traditional roles without critiquing gender hierarchies.

How racially and ethnically diverse is Over Mountains, Over Valleys?

Good

By focusing on Slovakian villagers, the film highlights a non-Anglo-Saxon cultural perspective. Although the subjects are ethnically uniform, the film provides substantial depth to this specific regional identity.

How does Over Mountains, Over Valleys represent religion and culture?

Fair

The film documents folk customs, religious practices, and communal rituals. It preserves agrarian, pre-industrial lifestyles that exist outside of modern capitalist frameworks.

Does Over Mountains, Over Valleys include disability representation?

Minimal

There is no verifiable evidence regarding the portrayal of individuals with disabilities within the available records of this documentary.

Present on Screen

Provides a significant historical record of Slovakian ethnic identity and regional customs.
Highlights a non-Anglo-Saxon perspective by centering the lives of rural villagers.
Serves as a valuable ethnographic archive of pre-industrial, agrarian lifestyles.

Limited or Absent

Lacks intentional subversion of traditional gender or social hierarchies.
Does not explore non-straight-centered identities or LGBTQ+ narratives.
Maintains existing social structures rather than offering critical or progressive perspectives.

Official Synopsis

The Matica slovenská (a mostly government-sponsored cultural, academic, and archival institution) employed Karol Plicka (1894-1987) as its ethnographer, who was able to make documentary shorts from about 1926. He obtained funding from the President’s Office in 1928 to produce an hour-long documentary about village life, Through Mountains and Valleys (Po horách, po dolách). It was awarded a Gold Medal at the International Exposition of Photographic Art in Florence and received an Honorable Mention at the International Venice Film Festival in 1932.

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