Preserving the Mirror of Culture: Anthology Film Archive Works to Keep Independent Film Alive

Reams of celluloid line the hallways. Numerous obscure film magazines are piled on top of each other towering to the sky. This is preservation at work.  

Tucked away in Manhattan's Bowery district and housed in a converted courthouse structure stands Anthology Film Archives. This little institution strives to recover and preserve the films, which have made the independent film industry the reflective lenses of American culture. With careful consideration this small film Archive saves about 15 to 30 films a year. One staff member commented, "Motion pictures are a kind of mirror of our society."


Robert Haller, Director of Collections and Special Projects, explained the mission of Anthology Archives. "Motion pictures shaped and altered events in the 20th century," he said,  "If we don't preserve these films people will lose track of what has happened throughout the decades." Because people are prone to lose focus of where we have been and of the art that drives our culture, civilizations throughout history have made preservation a cultural mission.


The idea that it is important to preserve art and culture has become a part of human DNA since the time of the Pharaohs. The pyramids and the ancient library of Alexandria are early examples of man's desire to preserve what culture has produced. In the 20th century, Anthology Film Archives is a part of a group of organizations determined to preserve film for posterity. Industry leaders such as Turner Broadcasting and Sony Entertainment have also added film preservation and restoration to their agenda. Turner's cable television channel, Turner Classic Movies, frequently screens restored classic films.


The necessity for these institutions stems from the volatility of nitrate based film stock. These older films in some instances are combustible. One staff member noted that a film reel left in an unopened container for over 20 to 30 years can sometimes spontaneously catch fire and explode when exposed to air. Other older reels of film can simply disintegrate over time, leaving only memory traces of important films. Without the work of organizations like Anthology Archives films such as D.W. Griffith's The Birth of a Nation and those from renowned director Fritz Lang, would be lost forever.

 
The Archive's extensive library is home to numerous editions of independent film study and magazines. "We have editions of FilmKritik, that the German film industry dosen't have," commented Haller. "We take pride in our limited and unique collection." The Archive has a collection of printed media concerning the revolution of independent filmmaking that is found no where else in the world. The Anthology archivers see their work in preserving print media as parallel to preserving the films themselves.

However, it is a tough mission to fully preserve every film produced. Anthology Film Archives focuses on avant gard independent films and filmmakers who have particularly influenced cinema and have changed the way films are produced.

"Preservation is fairly broad," archiver Andrew Lampert said, "Sometimes we have to create new negatives to ensure that films that have specific historic and aesthetic importance are preserved." Lampert noted that films are selected for archiving based upon their importance to aesthetic film and cinema. With the viewer and art lover in mind, an intricate process is used to decide which films are preserved and added to the library. The works of filmmakers who have had a specific influence on the industry and have exhibited artwork that rises above pure commercialization are the directors who may see their work enshrined in the Archive.

However, once a film has been restored the next challenge is making it available to the public for screening. To promote their work the Archive shows many restored independent films in their two theaters hoping to raise interest in the preservation of the cinema. "Every time we find newer more comfortable seats from an old theatre we bring them here and install them," Haller said, "We want our patrons to be comfortable while they enjoy a great film."  

Recent films screened at the Archive include Tanner Charles' film, Dead or Alive, Jennifer Kroot's new film, It came from Kuchar, and Jim Finn's film La Trinchera. Patrons are encouraged to come see new and more obscure films in order to expand the awareness of the public in this important genre in filmmaking.

Even though the work of the archive is integral for the preservation of American culture, the public has little awareness of the importance of the restorative mission and little interest in the Archive itself. Without more involvement from the public, organizations such as Anthology Film Archive may fall by the way side because of a lack of funding.


"All of our staff members work almost three jobs," Haller said. With only a few staff members, Anthology is trying to improve their mission through public support. New memberships are fairly reasonably priced starting around $60 for one year and further the ability of the Archive to select and preserve films.

The old courthouse built in 1916 serves as a sanctuary for the history of independent film. Film is enshrined while the Archive rallies the public to preserve its heritage. "In a sense this place is a fortress of film," Haller said, "Film is safe here."