Film Preservation

Archives exist to preserve and continue the cultural heritage of past and current civilizations. For a film archive, it collects, safeguards, and conserves film treasures, including other audiovisual materials. The archive also makes accessible the materials through its reference library and its online catalogue.

A film is representative of the cultural heritage of a society as seen through the eyes of the filmmaker. At the same time, the cinematic culture and the survival of the film medium are preserved. Through the research, publication, and education activities organized by the Archive, further access of these materials is made to the public and encourages the appreciation of the archived films.

The archive duplicates the film’s original format onto a contemporary archival format as its preservation copy in order to conserve the original copy. After the materials are carefully documented, the original and preservation copies are stored in a climate and humidity controlled secure repository. Reference copies are then made available for public viewing.

The archive adheres to a collection policy in order to develop its collection. In general, the materials acquired hold noteworthy and historical significance to the social, cultural, and political memory of the country and society. Copyrights to the films are strictly observed and adhered to, to prevent any abuse of the materials.