Master Placement Report

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Master Placement Report

Student: Greta Calaciura S2967715

Film and Contemporary Audiovisual Media

Placement Supervising Lecturer: prof. dr. A.M.A. (Annie) van den Oever Placement Providing Organization: Name: Eye Filmmuseum

Supervisor: prof. dr. Giovanna Fossati Address: Ijpromenade 1

Postal Code: 1031 KT

City and Country: Amsterdam, Netherlands Phone nr.: +31 20 7582 317

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Internship Report

Greta Calaciura

S2967715

1. Introduction

During my Master in Film and Contemporary Audiovisual Media I have greatly appreciated the structure of the program, treasuring and embracing all the different perspectives put forth by the professors, and looking forward to the moment I would exploit the gathered knowledge. Unfortunately, by the time the internship period arrived the Corona Virus situation had escalated to a point that a regular internship could hardly be possible, and perhaps an internship at all. The University of Groningen promptly organized an extra course which would substitute the internship period and allow students to still graduate on time, and at last I decided to cease my search and enrol for it as well. However, once the course had already begun I received an internship offer from the Eye Filmmuseum in Amsterdam, as intern for the chief curator, prof. dr. Giovanna Fossati. I had the opportunity to apply for an internship position at Eye thanks to my professor and supervisor Annie van den Oever, who believed in me and kindly recommended me to her colleague prof. Fossati. The internship assignment proposed would be related to the preparation of the Eye International Conference 2021, which will deal with Global Audiovisual Archiving focusing on archives in the Global South, and I accepted it at once. I am extremely grateful for the opportunity given to me and the wonderful internship experience accomplished, even in these challenging circumstances.

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2. Description of placement provider

Eye Filmmuseum is a film archive and museum in Amsterdam that preserves and presents films. The Eye collection dates back to 1946, when the first predecessor of Eye was founded, the Nederlands Historisch Filmarchief. In 1952, this first collection became the Dutch Filmmuseum, and since 2010 the Eye Filmmuseum. The institution does not exclusively acquire and preserve films, but a range of different materials - from movie posters to projection equipment. The collection comprises the entire history of film and is expanded every year with both new and old titles, from the Netherlands as well as abroad. Eye is the only institute in the Netherlands that collects and provides access to film-related collections.

The collection is the source of a wide variety of activities, such as the restoration, digitization and maintaining of the expensive catalogue. The Collection Centre is the building concerned with such activities and includes a small cinema where the new restorations can be viewed and discussed, and where press presentations are held. Prof. Giovanna Fossati is the Chief Curator at Eye, where she currently oversees the collection of 50,000 films, the extensive film-related collection, the application of the collection in (digital) presentations, and the academic activities (including research projects and the annual Eye International Conference).

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3. Learning goals and outcomes

After discussing with my supervisor Giovanna Fossati the intent and aims of their 2021 Conference, she proceeded to discern what my role in the organizing could entail and what would be expected of me. The competence to be acquired would relate specifically to the subject matter of audio-visual archives, in particular in the Global South and at Eye in relation to the project. The assigned tasks would allow me to put to work the theoretical knowledge and skills acquired during my studies in a professional and prestigious context, both strengthening and expanding my competences. I have always been inclined to be attentive and organized, so to be able to put these dispositions to work within professional circumstances thrilled me. In addition, the subject matter of archives in the Global South instantly intrigued me, both for its importance and for its being foreign to me. Indeed, the internship completely fulfilled my expectations, and based on the positive feedback I received I hope that my work satisfied prof. Fossati’s expectations as well. I believe that my internship at Eye has allowed me to gain overview knowledge on archival practices in a wide area of the Global South, especially providing the means to acquire such knowledge which I can now expand further. I am now aware of which countries in Latin America and Africa have the most archival material, as well as means to maintain such material, and what kind of activities they carry out and are involved with. As a consequence, this gained knowledge allowed me to understand and appreciate even further the intent of the Eye International Conference 2021, making me feel part of a great project. I have greatly benefited from these two months of work and I am extremely grateful for the insight acquired.

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4. Program of the internship, tasks and outcomes

During our first Zoom meeting, prof. Fossati disclosed that my tasks would entail the mapping of archives in the Global South, their functioning, what kind of projects they undertake, specifically in relation to the transition to digital, as well as research into what academic literature has already been published on the subject. The Global South comprises Africa, Latin America, developing Asia including countries in the Middle East and in South-East Asia, and I was given the freedom to choose in which area to begin. The 36 hours per week would be divided between searching for archives and their activities, and researching and evaluating relevant academic literature. I was then given the member access to the FIAF (International Federation of Film Archives) website and to an Eye google share folder to organize the material collected (Appendix). Before beginning my research, prof. Fossati provided some additional insight and suggestions, such as the fact that Latin America is wealthy in archives but there is no large association connection the archival work of all the different countries, like SEAPAVAA (SouthEast Asia-Pacific AudioVisual Archive Association). With

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this acquired knowledge I began my research, organizing and summarizing every country’s information in an overview document which would guide the staff at Eye in the understanding of the archival situation of every country. While searching for film archives I was able to understand a remarkable lot about the different backgrounds and cultures. I understood that often, even when the means are not available, there is a deeply rooted interest in undertaking archival work, and that all countries are passionate about their past. At the end of the 8 weeks internship I felt grateful for the opportunity given to me, but wishing I could continue working further, so when prof. Fossati during our final Zoom meeting suggested I could continue collaborating with Eye I enthusiastically accepted. I am as overjoyed for the excellent internship experience I have concluded as for the extension of my stay at Eye.

5. Evaluation and conclusion

I was thrilled to be part of such a prestigious institution as Eye and to be able to somehow contribute to the making of their Eye International Conference 2021, and while working remotely did not allow me to experience the institution’s environment I greatly appreciated the effort which was put into making me feel useful and valuable. Through Zoom calls and emails, prof. Fossati provided frequent feedback and suggestions based on the findings and developments of my research. In addition, prof. van den Oever, also being an expert in the aesthetics of technology, visual media and experimental media archaeology, was regularly informed on the internship’s developments and provided useful advices and angles. I was guided and overlooked by excellent supervisors and I am extremely excited to continue working on the Conference’s organizing in the fall.

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6. Acknowledgment

First of all, I would like to thank prof. dr. Giovanna Fossati and Eye Filmmuseum for giving me this amazing opportunity in these challenging times. When I did not expect to be able to undertake an internship anymore, they kindly offered to find a solution which would allow me to have the best possible experience, and I immensely appreciate this effort. But all of this would not have been possible without the help and guidance of prof. dr. Annie van den Oever, who both proposed Eye as a suitable institution to me, and personally vouched for me. I cannot thank her enough for believing in my capability to fulfil the task and I hope I met the job’s demands. I am extremely grateful for prof. Fossati and van den Oever’s guidance, encouraging me and valuing my work even from a distance. I could not have wished for better supervisors. I have approached this Master program with strong commitment and willingness to work hard, and I could not be more satisfied with the outcome. I would also like to thank my parents for always trusting and supporting me and my decisions, and the University of Groningen for always providing fertile ground for growth.

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7. Appendix

Below is one of the overview documents I have created and shared in the Eye Global Audiovisual Archives folder:

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1sBHhKueEzZra2TilWJeiOYDzvgrqg5LE

Overview document: Argentina

Additional links:

- http://www.incaa.gov.ar : INCAA Instituto Nacional de Cine y Artes Audiovisuales

The Cinematheque and Archive of the National Image (CINAIN) is an autonomous and autonomous entity, operating within the orbit of the Ministry of Culture of the Nation.

Law 25,119 of 1999, creates CINAIN and assigns its functions: to recover, restore, maintain, preserve and spread the national and universal audiovisual heritage; maintain a documentation and audiovisual studies center, as well as a specialized library and publish a monthly bulletin; maintain by itself, through agreements with third parties, cinematic and videographic exhibition and audiovisual experimentation rooms, which must have a regular operation in different cultural regions of the country; advise the National Institute of Cinema and Audiovisual Arts, and other public bodies, in the formulation of cultural policies in audiovisual matters, in the conclusion of agreements and in calls for competitions to promote national audiovisual production.

Furthermore, CINAIN must promote the training and exchange of students and professionals in the field of research and preservation of films with similar institutions in the country and abroad; promote the dissemination of the audiovisual heritage in the interior of the country, as well as the carrying out of activities aimed at promoting audiovisual creation; maintain access to the national audiovisual heritage for researchers, students or interested parties that require it; publish annually the updated catalog of the national audiovisual heritage, as well as the relevant studies that have been produced on the subject; publish the status of your budget execution in detail every six months; organize the National Museum of Argentine Cinema; organize and maintain a digital photographic archive of Argentine cinema; exchange movies and samples with other cinematheques.

- https://museodelcineba.org : Asociación de amigos del museo del cine

The Friends of the Cinema Museum Association is a non-profit civil association, whose purposes are the promotion and support of the Museum's activities. The Friends of the Cinema Museum contribute their time and enthusiasm in order to attract resources and create initiatives that raise the quality levels of the Museum's activities and programs. Its members are committed to making the Museum a first-rate cultural, educational and intellectual platform, supporting the preservation and dissemination of Argentina's audiovisual heritage. A Friend of the Museum contributes to the development and influence of the Museum through his financial support, his time and effort, or his knowledge and experience.

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cooperating associations, for the purposes of greater and better fulfillment of their objectives. Promote meetings, conferences, shows and all kinds of events, and establish relationships with similar entities in the country and abroad.

At the same time, the Association of Friends resorts to institutional, cultural and economic, national and / or foreign supports, necessary for the improvement of the preservation and diffusion of Argentine cinema. All the resources necessary to carry out these missions arise from the fees paid by their associates, the income from their property and donations, inheritances, legacies, subsidies and other income.

- https://www.funcinema.com.ar/tag/fundacion-cinemateca-argentina/ : FUNDACIÓN CINEMATECA ARGENTINA

-https://tisch.nyu.edu/cinema-studies/news/miap-celebrates-growing-audiovisual-preservation-exchange-with-return-to-buenos-aires : APEX Buenos Aires

- https://variety.com/2019/film/global/argentina-build-country-first-film-restoration-laboratory-buenos-aires-1203369373/ : Argentina to Build Country’s First Film Restoration Laboratory in

Buenos Aires. By Jamie Lang. 2019.

Argentina’s Instituto Nacional de Cinematografia y las Artes Audiovisuals (INCAA) and the Ministry of Culture of the City of Buenos Aires will partner to build Argentina’s first laboratory of film preservation.

Uploaded literature:

 La Cinemateca argentina - Entrevista con Guillermo Fernández Jurado. By Christian

Dimitriu. Journal of Film Preservation (2007).

The interview with Guillermo Fernández Jurado, President of the Fundación Cinemateca Argentina (FCA), was carried out within the framework of the FIAF "Oral History" project, on February 18, 2006 at the offices of the Cinemateca Argentina.

 Archivos Audiovisuales en Argentina: condiciones de acceso y preservación de imágenes

documentales del Cine y la TV. By Silvia Romano. 2004.

The text presents part of the results of the survey of historical archives, public and private, which guard cinematographic and television news and broadcasts in Argentina. The survey was carried out with the purpose of promoting the preservation of the documents and their use for academic, cultural and social purposes.

 La conservación del cine nacional: La larga agonía del patrimonio fílmico argentino. By

Martín Miguel Pereira. 2014. Revista de la Asociación Argentina de Estudios de Cine y Audiovisual.

Abstract: The purpose of this article is to deal with the problem of film conservation in Argentina, especially in reference to motion pictures. We think this is a really important subject when we discuss our cultural heritage and because it has been shelved by investigators and Argentinean film historians. While we wait for the definite foundation of CINAIN, it is truly useful to discuss it. We will

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organizations who deal with the problem.

 Presente y Futuro de las cinematecas. Diálogo con Luciano Monteagudo. By Ana Pascal. In dialogue with Arkadin, the Programming Director of the Leopoldo Lugones Hall of the Buenos Aires Theater Complex (CTBA), a film critic for the newspaper Página 12 and Artistic Director of the DocBuenos Aires Festival addressed issues related to the redefinition of the Cinematheque work in the digital age. Technical changes, the possibilities of material recovery and the consolidation of new film cultures were some of the topics covered, which were connected with the function of the exhibitions and festivals and the attention to the spectator habits of the Present.

 Buenos Aires. Fundación Cinemateca Argentina. By Paulina Fernandez Jurado. Journal of

Film Preservation (1996).

This brief text discusses a CD-ROM published by the Cinemateca Argentina, which cointains historical information on Argentina’s national cinema.

Master Placement Report