Film: The Living Record of Our Memory

2021

Documentary

6
IMDb Rating 7.8/10 10 352 352

film preservation film archives

Please enable your VPΝ when downloading torrents

If you torrent without a VPΝ, your ISP can see that you're torrenting and may throttle your connection and get fined by legal action!

Get Private VPΝ

Plot summary

Why are we still able, today, to view images that were captured over 125 years ago? As we enter the digital age, audiovisual heritage seems to be a sure and obvious fact. However, much of cinema and our filmed history has been lost forever. Archivists, technicians and filmmakers from different parts of the world explain what audiovisual preservation is and why it is necessary. The documentary is a tribute to all these professionals and their important work.

720p.WEB 1080p.WEB
1.08 GB
1280*694
English 2.0
A
us  
25 fps
1 hr 59 min
Seeds ...
2.21 GB
1920*1040
English 5.1
A
us  
25 fps
1 hr 59 min
Seeds 4

Movie Reviews

Reviewed by Brent Marchant 9 / 10

Film has become so pervasive in our society

Film has become so pervasive in our society that we tend to take it for granted. From big screen blockbusters to intimate arthouse dramas and documentaries to home movies, we see these cinematic records of us and our world virtually everywhere we look. It’s a phenomenon that’s present globally, too, one that spans all seven continents. And, because these images have been committed to a fixed medium, we tend to assume that these records will be with us permanently. But will they? As writer-director Inés Toharia Terán’s compelling new documentary reveals, that’s not an assumption we should make – indeed, far from it. This excellent examination of film preservation efforts is an eye-opening revelation, showing us just how much of film history has been lost through deterioration, censorship, careless management and even willful destruction – an estimated 80% of all silent films ever made and roughly 50% of those created since the invention of talkies. The documentary explores the reasons behind these tragedies, as well as the efforts that have been made to save and/or restore pictures that could have easily – or still might possibly – become lost without concerted initiatives to protect them. Terán’s work is particularly impressive from the standpoint of comprehensiveness, showing the impact that this effort has had on film collections from around the around, from all ages past and from all genres, including not only entertainment offerings but also documentary footage and even those designed to capture cherished personal memories. Through interviews with leading directors, archivists, restoration professionals and photographic industry experts, viewers gain an insightful new appreciation for why these celluloid records matter to us and why it’s important to make the effort to save them from neglect before they’re gone forever. Admittedly, some may find this offering a little overlong, but, in my view, better more than less when it comes to a showcase aimed at purposely illustrating the need to preserve these precious and otherwise-irretrievable materials. And, to its credit, the film does a fine job of keeping its narrative from becoming too technical, a noteworthy accomplishment for a subject that could easily become overly burdened by indecipherable jargon. “Film” is must-see viewing for anyone who loves movies and passionately desires to see as many of them curated as possible, making their continued existence available to posterity as a genuine living record of our memory.
Reviewed by Peter_Mork 8 / 10

Don't panic, but everything is crumbling into dust

Well worth a watch, though they had to do that scare tactic of opening up a film can full of brown dust or black goo or white mold every two minutes. Chances are those films were boring anyway - most are. Archivists don't always make value judgements like that. I watched a "rediscovered" silent film, The Life Story of David Lloyd George awhile ago - it should have stayed lost.

The more pressing question is what are we doing to preserve our precious film actors? Remember Emily Watson? Cute star of films from the 90s like Breaking the Waves and Trixie? Now rather gaunt and careworn. Why aren't we putting her in a climate-controlled, dark storage facility? Before she crumbles into dust! That would be money well spent.

Reviewed by dwknuj 10 / 10

Vital for Any Lover of Film

Films live in our memories. They live in our hearts. But they don't necessarily live for very long in our archives.

We think of cinema as a fixed, unchanging, undying phenomenon. They delighted us, horrified us, titillated or amused us. This spectacular documentary teaches us that those memorable pictures might as well be stored on an Etch-a-Sketch.

In it's own way, Film, the Living Record of Our Memory, is an adventure story. As the world blunders along, these hardy souls spend their lives battling the inevitable decline of films, one frame at a time.

I've visited major archives and labs. I have strolled through major cold-storage aisles loaded with precious cinematic artifacts. I understand now that I simply had the illusion that I understood the battle for preservation. After seeing Film, the Live Record of Our Memory, I finally understand what I don't know.

Whatever you're doing, stop. Go see this documentary right now.

Read more IMDb reviews

No comments yet

Be the first to leave a comment