Slovenian Cinematheque Film Archive Department

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Arhivski oddelek Slovenske kinoteke

Metelkova 2a, SI-1000 Ljubljana

http://www.kinoteka.si

Phone386 (1) 434 2511

Managed bySlovenian Cinematheque

As one of the four departments of the Slovenian Cinematheque the Film Archive Department was established in 1996. Its basic tasks are to build up a collection of films, important for the history of cinema, to gather films distributed in Slovenia (on the basis of legal or voluntary depot), to carefully examine and prepare film prints designed for screening and to properly store, preserve and restore all of its film stock. Since nearly all the film prints distributed in Slovenia after the II. world war went to the central archive of the former Yugoslav Cinematheque from Belgrade, the Film Archive Department had to start its collection nearly from scratch. Namely, in 1996 it had just 354 films (on 813 film prints) that came from the arhive of Vesna Film, a former Slovene distributor. Today the film collection of the Slovenian Cinematheque counts 3000 films (on 4200 film prints). The Film Archive Department is storing and preserving also 1680 film prints from the Slovenian Film Fund in its storage facilities.

Storage facilities

Initially the Film Archive Department didn't have a proper storage for the preservation of film prints as all the prints were sent to the central archive of the former Yugoslav Cinematheque from Belgrade. Its small collection of just 354 film titles was stored in appalling conditions (the place was small, without the proper temperature, lighting conditions and humidity control as the water was leaking into it) so it had first to find a storage with proper conditions. The Slovene Film Archives section of the Archives of the Republic of Slovenia, which was already a member of International Federation of Film Archives (FIAF), helped the Film Archive Department to get adequate storage in Gotenica (in a former army underground building), where later the necessary work was done to properly maintain the world's film heritage. Currently, the Slovenian Cinematheque film collection (3000 titles on 4200 film prints) is being stored on 500 square meters of air-conditioned areas, whereas additional 200 square meters approximately are being used as a working space (offices and inspection rooms). Furthermore it is necessary to mention that the Film Archive Department is also taking care for the 1680 film prints of the Slovenian Film Fund.

Collections

Among the most valuable prints of the collection are three major discoveries of Slovenian Cinematheque, with which the Slovenian Cinematheque sensationally entered the world of important film archives. These are: the colourized nitrate film print of the oldest preserved feature film by Ernst Lubitsch When I was dead from 1916; the only preserved tinted print of the Franz Hofer's film First traces of age from 1913; and also the only world coloured copy of the film The Juggler (unknown director) from 1909. There are also some other important prints – like the internegative of the Bicycle Thieves by Vittorio de Sica – but they are not so rare like the three mentioned above.

See also

• Slovenian Cinematheque
• Archives of the Republic of Slovenia (ARS)
• Slovenian Film Fund

External links

• Archive Department, Slovenian Cinematheque website
• Slovenian Cinematheque movie rental