Protecting Audiovisual Heritage

Ever since Man perfected the art and science of preserving and playing back moving images in the early 1900s, we have witnessed an explosion in the visual media. While film (movies) was the first medium that brought sound and vision together, television, which came of age in the 1930s, created a revolution in our homes, first in black and white and then in colour. One cannot forget radio, the reports of whose death are greatly exaggerated. In fact, radio lives on even more vibrantly, thanks to initiatives such as Radio Garden, a portal which allows you to listen to any local radio station on Earth. That brings us to the Internet and the World Wide Web which bring sound, vision and text together to give a unique interactive experience. Our smartphones enable us to record every moment for posterity and even broadcast live to the world. It is a far cry from the world that Lumiere saw at the turn of the 20th Century.

But this means that there is a treasure trove of audiovisual material out there that should be preserved for the future generations. Today, October 27, has been designated by the UN as the World Day for Audiovisual Heritage under the theme ‘Your Window to the World’. Indeed, a film or TV programme from another country (or even a time period such as the 1960s), gives a unique insight. They enable us to penetrate the heart and soul of that country or place without even leaving the armchair. They are indeed windows to the world.

The 33rd session of UNESCO’s General Conference adopted 33 C/Resolution 53 to proclaim October 27 as World Day for Audiovisual Heritage, in commemoration of the adoption, in 1980 by the 21st session of the General Conference, of the Recommendation for the Safeguarding and Preservation of Moving Images. While the UN recommendations have helped to raise awareness of the importance of our audiovisual heritage and had been instrumental in ensuring the preservation of this often unique testimony to economic, political and social development for future generations, more efforts are needed as audiovisual recordings are particularly vulnerable and require special attention for their long-term security. The anniversary of the adoption of the Recommendations on Audiovisual Heritage is considered a timely opportunity to launch a movement in recognition of the benefits of the preservation of audiovisual heritage.

Sound recordings and moving images are extremely vulnerable as they can be quickly and deliberately destroyed. Essentially emblematic of the 20th century, our audiovisual heritage can be irretrievably lost as a result of neglect, natural decay and technological obsolescence. Public consciousness of the importance of preservation of these recordings must be engaged and the World Day for Audiovisual Heritage is intended to be the platform for building global awareness. It is vital that we take all possible steps to cherish and preserve these memories for all time.

Here in Sri Lanka, it is a pity that some of our pioneering films have been lost to the sands of time, or more correctly, to the ravages of neglect and decay. Prints of movies such as Ranmuthu Duwa, the first Sinhala colour film, are no longer available in Sri Lanka (it is believed that at least one print exists elsewhere). Many other classic Sri Lankan films have rotted away, in what amounts to a major tragedy. Sri Lanka badly needs a climate-controlled film preservation facility or archive where such films can be protected. This is where digitisation comes in. Most countries now scan their films in 4K or 8K digitally and also do a negative print at the same time. Our film authorities should get the assistance of a niche label such as Criterion or Arrow which will renovate and preserve the films while releasing them to the wider market on Blu-Ray and DVD.

The same applies to our TV productions. TV in Sri Lanka is well over 40 years old now and next year, the Sri Lanka Rupavahini Corporation (SLRC) will celebrate its 40th anniversary. It is reported that some of the earliest productions contained on U-Matic cassettes have been subject to decay due to a variety of factors. There are many excellent teledramas and documentaries from these pioneering days. These too should be digitised without delay. Radio programmes should be digitized likewise and made available on the Internet for the benefit of listeners. This way, those who would like to listen to, say, the speeches of our former Prime Ministers, can do so from the comfort of their homes.

It is our collective duty to preserve the audiovisual heritage, from films to TV programmes and even the new-fangled Internet-based podcasts. If we do not pay attention to them now, they could be lost forever. If they are preserved, future generations, even those to be born 1,000 years from now, will be able to enjoy them. It is highly unlikely that any physical media will survive for such a long time, but they will, in digital form and in the cloud. After all, getting access to the audiovisual heritage of Mankind should be as easy as ABC.