Curating access, shaping cultural memory: the Czech National Film archive in the era of digitisation

Abstract

Audiovisual archiving has two main objectives: preservation of heritage and ensuring its accessibility. In this article, I would like to direct the focus especially on the latter. In the framework of cultural memory, I would like to explore the current policies and practices of the Czech National Film Archive (NFA) that govern access to its digitized collections. The adoption of digital technologies has caused profound changes not only in storing of audiovisual works, but also in their exhibition, distribution and sharing. The goal of this article is to review the curatorial processes of the NFA by which the works are selected for priority digitization and digital restoration and to map at least the most important platforms at which digitized content is exhibited or shared. From the point of view of memory, it is meaningful to ask what parts of Czech cinematography are highlighted and why, and also to look at how is the archival footage presented to contemporary public, for example through cataloging, descriptive or interpretive texts and other information that create the framework for its reception.