Lithuanian Central State Archive presents virtual documentary cinema archives

On the World Day for Audiovisual Heritage, the Lithuanian Central State Archive, in cooperation with Lithuanian National Commission for UNESCO and National Memory of the World Committee and with public institution “Meno avilys”, presented the first virtual documentary cinema archives in Lithuania www.e-kinas.lt on Thursday 24th of October 2013 at the Gallery of the Lithuanian National Commission for UNESCO 11 Šv. Jono Street, Vilnius.

The event was started by Ms. Margarita Gaubytė, Communication and Information Programme Coordinator of the Lithuanian National Commission for UNESCO, who presented the history and the main objectives of the World Day for Audiovisual Heritage, proclaimed by UNESCO in 2005.

Deputy Director of the Lithuanian Central State Archive Valerija Jusevičiūtė told how audiovisual heritage is preserved and presented to the users in the most attractive way by the Lithuanian Central State Archive. This has become possible after the Archive implemented the project “Lithuanian Documentary Cinema on the Internet (e-Cinema)”. The project was funded from EU structural funds and the budget of the Republic of Lithuania. The implementation of the project enabled the Archive to acquire new equipment for film tape cleaning, digitisation, digital restoration and storage. Short video clips compiled by the employees of the Archive and presenting the process, equipment and results of the project were screened:

Presentation of Internet portal (English version) www.e-kinas.lt/objektas/kinas/0168a-dv/ Presentation of the Process for Film Digitisation www.e-kinas.lt/objektas/kinas/0169-dv/

So the main focus of the event was viewing the film digitized by the Archive and restored by the public institution “Meno avilys”. The copy of the documentary “Time Passes through the City” (“Laikas eina per miestą”), directed by Almantas Grikevičius in 1966 was screened.

Project manager of “Meno avilys”, film historian Lina Kaminskaitė-Jančorienė introduced the documentary and shared with the audience some findings on the censorship of the film. At the first stage of the Project „Anthology of the Lithuanian documentary“ being implemented by „Meno avilys“ 7 documentaries were digitized and restored. Digitized and restored films are adapted for screening in the modern movie theatres (DCP) and simple digital usage (Blue-ray, DVD). During the Project research was made, ideas of film authors were registered, cases of censorship were reconstructed.

Following the event, spectators shared their impressions and took interest in the process of film restoration.

Ms. Jolita Steponaitienė, Chairperson of the Lithuanian National Memory of the World Committee, told about Lithuania's input implementing UNESCO Programme Memory of the World.

Short videoclip of the event: http://www.e-kinas.lt/objektas/kinas/0170-dv/world-day-for-audiovisual-h...

Photos by Larisa Dmuchovskaja and Nikolajus Gubanovas