Children as Consumers and Co-Creators of Cultural Products: The Impact of Foreign Films on Estonian Children’s Culture in the 1950s

Abstract

This article gives a folkloristic insight into how cinema and films influenced Estonian children’s culture in the late 1940s and in the 1950s. During this period, Estonia was occupied by the Soviet Union. Due to the lack of Soviet film production at that time, the cinemas began to show American, German, and other films of the 1930s, so-called foreign films or trophies. The post-World War II trophy films, which differed from Soviet films in both themes and images, but also ideals, characters, and soundtrack, became box-office hits. The source material comes from the relevant essays sent to the Estonian Folklore Archives at the Estonian Literary Museum. As memories show, cinema and films had a strong influence on children and young people. Trophy films had an impact on children’s culture, and children’s games and activities found inspiration in them. Children build the culture of their peers, being both consumers of the culture and creating a culture of their own based on the culture of adults. Adult films helped them to socialise and take part in cultural exchanges.