When the sun shines again

Wenn die Sonne wieder scheint is the first film adaptation of Stijn Streuvels's novel De Vlaschaard from 1907. Filming began in the summer of 1942 in Belgium and was completed in Germany in early 1943. The direction was in the hands of Boleslaw Barlog and the print was released in Germany under the title Wenn die Sonne wieder scheint. In Vlaanderen, however, the film was released as De Vlaschaard. Barlog directed the film for the German film company Terra, which was responsible for the antisemitic film Jud Süß in 1940. Dat Streuvels worked on the film and appeared in it, while Belgium was simultaneously occupied by Nazi Germany, makes/made the film controversial. Vlasboer Vermeulen and his wife Barbele look forward to the homecoming of their son Louis, who is studying at agricultural school. Wanneer Louis wants to apply his knowledge and suggests sowing the flax in a different field, but father Vermeulen is not pleased with these newfangled ideas. The ‘eternal struggle between old and new’ (Streuvels) breaks out. Dat Louis is in love with the stable girl Schellebelle, which intensifies the tension between the generations. The conflict reaches a dramatic climax when Louis ignores his father's wish and decides to harvest the flax on his own. The film respects the spirit of Streuvels’ book, even though it ultimately chooses a happy ending. Meanwhile, next to the set and outside the cinema, the Tweede Wereldoorlog rages in full intensity. The lead roles are played by German actors, the extras are Flemish. The studio recordings take place in Berlin, the exteriors are filmed in Kortrijk and surroundings. Een Duits filmmaker who films a piece of Flemish rural heritage in the middle of the war years... An intriguing curiosity... 🗣️ More about this? Then also come to the lecture Cinema in occupied België van Roel Vande Winkel on Thursday, January 14, 2027, in the audiovisual room of Museum Fort Liezele. Viewing guide: 12