Journal of Film Preservation N° 56 - FIAF

workshop on vinegar syndrome (a major problem in the region) is
planned for this year.
- We are building a wider, global awareness of the audiovisual heritage
of the region, and facilitating access to it. (This was the theme of the
Hanoi conference this year.) For example, the Philippines has one of
the world’s most prolific film industries, Australia one of the oldest,
Vietnam (for linguistic reasons) one of the least known. A policy
statement on access was adopted in Hanoi: it covers the areas of legal
deposit, member cooperation, finance, and copyright.
Structurally, SEAPAVAA has an elected Executive Council of seven members,
four standing committees (Technical, Training, Collections,
Promotion) and a Secretariat based in Manila. It works to a three-year
business plan. The official language is English, which is the shared language
of trade and diplomacy within the region, Across the region, language
and culture is diverse and, in many cases, very ancient: a formal
SEAPAVAA occasion, such as a conference opening, to which everyone
wears national dress is a rich and colourful experience.
During the last year or so, after a period of sustained growth, many
countries in the region found themselves quite suddenly thrust into economic
crisis, as their currencies dropped in value. Nowhere in the
world, it seems, had economists predicted this: as I write, the effects
have been most tragically and dramatically felt in Indonesia, the most
populous country of the region. Governments have taken severe austerity
measures: it will be some time before recovery is complete. In these
circumstances, culturally vulnerable areas like audiovisual archiving are
early casualties.
Some SEAPAVAA members also have links to FIAF, IASA or other associations:
some have no other links. What they all find valuable within
SEAPAVAA are the distinctives of sharing in a focus on this particular
part of the world. Those from outside the region who’ve joined as associates
also enjoy that link: and their interest and desire to share in our task
is greatly welcomed. The field of audiovisual archiving is becoming a
more complex mosaic: the global movement.is the richer for it.
Highlights of the SEAPAVAA Conference,
Hanoi, Vietnam - 23-28 March
Emerging av heritage - accessing the voice and vision of
SE Asia-Pacific
Despite the current economic crisis in Asia - which unfortunately prevented
many intending delegates from travelling to Hanoi - this was the
largest SEAPAVAA conference to date: there were 44 official delegates
and observers from 13 countries, with around 80 to 100 attending the
symposium and official functions. The host was SEAPAVAA member, the
Vietnam Film Institute (VFI).
The venue was the superb new Horison Hotel in downtown Hanoi - an
excellent choice for an audiovisual conference. Sessions were presented
64 Journal of Film Preservation / 56 / 1998