Atlantis (1913 film)

Atlantis is a 1913 Danish silent film directed by August Blom. It is loosely based on the 1912 novel Atlantis by Gerhart Hauptmann, which itself was inspired by the sinking of the RMS Titanic.

The film tells the story of Dr. Friedrich von Kammacher, a German physician who experiences a personal tragedy and embarks on a transatlantic voyage for a change of scenery. Onboard the ship, he encounters a beautiful opera singer, Ingrid Hjordis, and they begin a passionate affair. The ship then sinks after hitting an iceberg, in a scene heavily influenced by accounts of the Titanic disaster. Dr. Kammacher survives, but must grapple with the emotional and physical aftermath of the catastrophe. He later searches for Ingrid Hjordis.

Atlantis is notable for its spectacular special effects for the time, particularly the sinking ship sequence, which featured large-scale sets and realistic models. It was one of the first feature-length films and is considered a significant early example of disaster cinema. It also achieved international distribution and critical acclaim, cementing Nordisk Film's position as a leading film studio. Despite its success, no complete copy of the film is known to survive, though several fragments and excerpts exist. The film's large budget, elaborate sets, and realistic portrayal of the sinking solidified its place in early cinema history.