ARH/ERHFA Video Essay No. 4

Motorisation has been a determinative factor in the agricultural development of the last hundred years. Especially after the Second World War, there was a need for upscaling farms by using machinery in different agricultural processes. This resulted in a propaganda campaign that promoted further mechanisation and motorisation, which was closely related to the concept of agricultural progress and modernity. Films and moving images were a key part of this campaign. In this video essay we analyse a 1955 film from the Belgian cinematographer Jean Harlez (1924-), which was used by the Belgian ministry of Agriculture to promote the cooperative purchase of agricultural machines. We do so by unravelling the specific themes and language of the film, as well as the visual techniques which are used in order to persuade farmers to adapt their farming practices. We argue that this case study teaches us more about how moving images and films proved to be a perfect medium for governments and farmers’ organisations to promote agricultural modernisation campaigns. With this video essay we aim to contribute to a better understanding of the importance of moving images in the history of agricultural modernisation and thus open new perspectives for further research