Journal of Film Preservation - FIAF

Invitado a participar en el Forum del
Segundo Siglo (Second Century
Forum), el 4 de junio de 2003, David
Francis, con su larga experiencia–
Director del National Film and
Television Archive (London) y luego de
Director del MBRS Division de la
Library of congreso, propone una
reseña histórica y crítica de lo que
originariamente fue la FIAF.
Nacida del entusiasmo de un
pequeño grupo de coleccionistas
convencidos de la urgencia de
salvaguardar el legado
cinematográfico mundial, la FIAF se
ha ido transformando en una vasta
asamblea que hoy tiene dificultades
en justificar su razón de ser a sus
adherentes. Y sin embargo su acción
es reconocida unánimemente, en
particular en su rol de modelo en la
conservación y catalogación de
películas, cuyas normas han sido
desarrolladas e implementadas por
las comisiones especializadas. El
hecho de que sólo los directivos de los
archivos cinematográficos asisten a
los congresos explica en parte el
desconocimiento del accionar de la
FIAF y de su carácter de foro de
intercambio de ideas y experiencias.
La creación, relativamente reciente, de
asociaciones regionales de
cinematecas, es la expresión de la
dificultad que tiene la FIAF en
responder concretamente a las
necesidades múltiples, y a menudo
diferentes, de instituciones que tienen
un objetivo común pero caracteres
diversos, como la CLAIM en América
Latina, la ACE en Europa (con sus
prolongaciones en Archimedia y
Gamma), AMIA y CNAFA en
Norteamérica y SEAPAVAA en Asia y
Oceanía. Estas asociaciones han
modificado el panorama y, gracias a
su vitalidad e iniciativas, constituyen
un reto para la FIAF.
Por otra parte, los proyectos conjuntos
(congresos, simposios, publicaciones)
emprendidos con la Federación
Internacional de Archivos de
Televisión (FIAT) y otras asociaciones
internacionales, deberían incitar a la
FIAF a ampliar sus preocupaciones y a
salir en búsqueda de nuevos aliados.
Para el autor, no cabe duda de que la
FIAF debería funcionar como un Open
Forum que permita el intercambio,
particularmente fecundo en materia
are prepared to challenge their colleagues’ actions as well as discuss
mutual problems and the changing archival environment, will ensure
that transgressors do not have a long life in the Federation. In short, the
benefits of a broad-based membership far outweigh its dangers. I
would not however go so far as to open the membership to individuals.
Other changes in the film preservation world that exist outside FIAF
have an indirect impact on the Federation that it is more difficult to
quantify. FIAF started its summer schools in 1973 and has held them
more or less every four years since. However, they seldom last for more
than two weeks and are aimed at existing archive staff with very little
previous experience. Now other organizations are providing year- round
film archive training that often leads to an accepted academic
qualification, like an M.A. The first course was started at the University
of East Anglia in 1989. The most successful in the United States is that
held at the L Jeffrey Selznick School of Film Preservation at George
Eastman House. In Italy, the film archive in Bologna has concentrated
on the teaching of laboratory preservation practice. There is a distance
learning film preservation course in Australia and UCLA has just started
its own two-year MA course for film archivists in California that
combines a strong library sciences component with film preservation.
New York University is on the point of starting its own two-year MA
course. On a less ambitious level the Collegiums at Pordenone take
advantage of the experience present at the Festival to give selected
students a chance to hear lectures on film history, preservation and
other associated issues. Perhaps FIAF could establish a closer
association with some of these training initiatives.
There are also festivals of film preservation, at both UCLA and the
Cinémathèque Française. Annual events in Bologna and Pordenone
function in a similar way. The 1988 National Film Preservation Act in the
United States made the Librarian of Congress responsible for the
selection of 25 American films representing every aspect of the
country’s cinema heritage for inclusion in a National Film Registry.
Selected titles from the Registry have been included in a tour that is
designed to promote the importance of film preservation in every state.
Now UNESCO is including films in its Memory of the World Register. I
would like to see FIAF’s name associated with a similar event, maybe an
annual festival of nitrate or restored films. This would be another
opportunity to get archive staff from all over the world together each
year. Even Cinefest, one of the four annual festivals in the States that
show films held by private collectors, is starting to attract film
archivists from other parts of the world. Kevin Brownlow’s television
programs and film restorations for Thames Television in the UK have
highlighted the importance of film preservation on the small screen
and his restoration of Napoleon has been seen all over the world.
Perhaps FIAF could commission Kevin to make a serious film about the
activities of its members like the UK National Film Archive’s “Twentieth
Century Treasure Trove”:
Funding for film preservation is also changing. Most film archives used
to rely on government support. Nowadays they find they can’t just sit
back and wait for a check. Archives in the States have had to raze most
of the preservation funds they need for some time and have come to
6 Journal of Film Preservation / 67 / 2004