[Marianne in hospital].

In 1948 Norwegian architect and author Odd Brochmann (1909-92) published his popular children's book Marianne in hospital (Marianne på sykehus). Two years later the book was filmed on the initiative of the Ministry of Social Affairs. This article considers the question of what were the purposes of the film. Officially, it was presented as an attempt to teach children not to be afraid of hospitals. However, in internal notes and letters the health authorities stressed that the film should be an educational film about the social benefits and health services of the welfare state. Furthermore, I will argue that the film was the result of a wish to present the nation's modern hospital care and, by way of conclusion, discuss the characterisation of the film as educational.