Protect the film archive. This can’t be done by handing it to a corporation 

News: Recently, the government has merged the Films Division, Children’s Film Society, International Film Festival of India (IFFI), Directorate of Film Festivals, and National Film Archive of India (NFAI) with the NFDC (National Film Development Corporation of India). 

What are the achievements of the NFAI? 

Contributed to the growth of our film culture. It has gathered a certain amount of expertise and special experience. These worked with experts in the respective fields. 

The NFAI’s functioned to preserve our film heritage. It was one of the largest reserves of cinema films in the world. It used to archive the original prints of films in various languages from all over India. 

The NFAI was a member of the international federation of film archives. It shared, exchanged, and standardised modern methods of archiving and restoration. 

What are the issues with the merger? 

The government has the duty and commitment to preserve and nurture our cultural heritage. This merger with a corporate body will violate the government’s commitment. 

These institutions have different characters and functions. They are being brought under a single institution known as NFDC. The NFDC does not have special knowledge or experience in any of these areas.  

Any corporation works on the basis of business. Thus, how NFDC, a company would maintain a film archive when it is a known fact that it is an expensive affair. 

The government has proposed digitisation of films in the archive. It will act as an alternative model to optical film preservation. There are questions like for how long digital format will last and how secure it is for preservation. 

The culture of preservation of cinema in optical film format is a strong movement. It ensures long-time preservation. It ensures longevity in preservation. 

Source: The post is based on the article, “Protect the film archive. This can’t be done by handling it to a corporation” published in the Indian Express on 5th Apr 22.