Manchukuo: Newborn Empire 1937

This circa 1937 silent propaganda film, Manchukuo: The Newborn Empire, showcases Manchurian industry and transportation in black-and-white 16mm, subtly justifying Japan’s occupation. Produced possibly by Beaux Art Productions, it features bustling South Manchurian Railway trains, steel mills, and soy fields, alongside Japanese settlers in Xinjing living a modern colonial life—schools, homes, and festivals. A "soft-sell" narrative frames Manchukuo as a prospering puppet state under Emperor Puyi, blending economic progress with cultural assimilation, downplaying the 1931 invasion and local resistance in a pre-war vision of imperial harmony.