Journal of Film Preservation N° 56 - FIAF

Dark Red pH 6,0
No Smell
Brown pH 5,0
No Smell
ity of all the materials in their field of study. In an annex that seems
oddly out of place in the midst of all this, Borde argues for the retention
of dubbed film copies. In my opinion, this is one of the most valuable
contributions of the book. He has made me rethink this question.
Freddy Buache, on the other hand, seems to be almost entirely pessimistic
about the new situation of film archives. Like Borde, he laments
the passing of the days when the passion for cinema was the only
weapon for saving our cinematic heritage. He does not think that the
functionaries who lead most of the world’s film archives today can understand
that. I believe that more often than Buache or Borde would admit,
the new breed of professional film archivist may be moved by the same
passions as the founders. Even the bureaucrats and accountants he scorns
may sometimes be brought to share these enthusiasms. As someone who
went through several different administrations, I always thought of it as
one of my tasks to educate the new administrator. Buache does not care
much for the current interest in film reconstruction, nor does he approve
of the new methods in scholarship of the universities, nor the early film
studies that were launched at the 1978 FIAF Congress in Brighton and
continue actively today, nor the state of the world in general. While there
are times when I can understand his criticism, for me, his viewpoint is
too narrow, and too romantic. We must not forget the magnificent
achievements of the past - how could we, they are on the shelves, in the
vaults. But while the fundamental values of preserving the heritage do
not and must never change, a broader sense of the archives’ mission is
needed to face the next century. The personalities of the founders created
the institution but it is the institution that survives us all.
Eileen Bowser
Motion Picture Film Base Deterioration Window for Acetate and Nitrate Film
Dancan International Sales • www.dancan.dk • dancan@email.dk • Fax +45 4054 4180
Light Brown pH 4,8
No Smell
Light Yellow pH 4,6
Weak Smell
76 Journal of Film Preservation / 56 / 1998
Yellow pH 4,4
Strong Smell
Yellow pH 4,2
Strong Smell
Yellow pH >4,0
Strong Smell