In Hradištko, the construction of a new film archive depository has begun

Source
Jan Kholl
Publisher
ČTK
24.03.2015 16:45
Hradištko (near Prague) - Construction has begun on a new depository of the National Film Archive (NFA) in Hradištko near Prague, intended to hold up to 100 million meters of film. The secure storage is primarily meant for non-flammable color film, which is rare and could be at risk of destruction over time. The building is being constructed for 116.5 million crowns, excluding VAT, by Hochtief CZ in the area of the current depositories from the 1970s and 1990s. It will be completed in less than a year, but the relocation of a vast amount of film materials will take a full decade due to the necessary acclimatization.
     The foundation stone of the building, financed by a program from the Ministry of Culture designated for the care of the national cultural treasure, was today laid by Minister of Culture Daniel Herman (KDU-ČSL). He reminded that the Czech Republic is one of the major filmmaking powers and has film materials dating back to the late 19th century that need to be preserved with proper care. "I firmly believe that this will be a work capable of archiving the great treasure that Czech cinematography contains," he said.
    The new depository will occupy an area of 1820 m² and a built-up space of 21,500 m². A humidity level of 35% will prevent the film from drying out and shrinking, while a constant temperature of minus five degrees Celsius will halt the chemical processes that shorten the material's lifespan. "It will be one of the largest refrigerators in Europe," noted archive director Michal Bregant. Before moving to the new building, each film will pass through an acclimatization chamber, where it will spend 24 hours. The current depository, according to Bregant, is full. Films stored in flat round boxes are already being sorted and will gradually be moved to the new premises.
     In the new depository's mobile shelves, all colored productions of Czechoslovak and Czech cinematography will be stored on non-flammable film, from the 1950s to the present day, as well as securing materials for older films that the NFA has copied from nitrate to non-flammable materials. This includes films by Hermína Týrlová, Jiří Trnka, and Karel Zeman. Some valuable black and white films will also be relocated, such as the collection of Jan Kříženecký, a pioneer of Czech cinematography from the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries, the first scientific films, collections from the Czech avant-garde, and documents and advertisements from the Baťa company, as well as films by Jiří Hanzelka and Miroslav Zikmund. The recordings of the trial of Milada Horáková will also be stored here. "That material has the nature of a national cultural monument, and we treat it with particular caution," stated Bregant.
     In addition to spaces for storing film materials, the building will also include a laboratory that will convert old films into digital form. The advantage will be that the films will not have to be transported anywhere. Alongside films, posters, photographs, and books for researchers will also find their place in the depository.
     The idea of building a large depository was conceived 40 years ago, and the path to construction has been quite complicated. Bregant recalled that the project was prepared as early as the early 1990s. The National Film Archive has also long been striving for its new headquarters; today it is located in several places in emergency or rented spaces. Herman noted that there is a possibility of placing it in the Žižkov freight station area in Prague. "That is, of course, a matter of a longer period, but again not infinite, because the freight station is now a listed building, it is protected as a monument, and we are counting on that," he stated. However, the minister did not want to estimate when the project could be implemented or if it could happen during his term.
The English translation is powered by AI tool. Switch to Czech to view the original text source.
1 comment
add comment
Subject
Author
Date
Špatné vizualizace
Aleš Rumpel
26.03.15 01:37
show all comments