Speaker A
Um, we've just come from our round table discussion. This is something that we initiated in 2015 in the Getty Research Institute in Los Angeles.
Christopher Nolan and Tacita Dean discuss the importance of preserving celluloid film as a creative medium and its future alongside digital formats.
Key Takeaways
- Celluloid film remains a vital creative medium distinct from digital technology and deserves preservation.
- Global collaborative efforts are essential to maintain film infrastructure and heritage for future generations.
- Kodak continues to manufacture film stock, ensuring availability for filmmakers who choose to shoot on celluloid.
- Preservation challenges in India highlight the need for advocacy and awareness to protect film history.
- Artistic freedom to select film as a medium must be supported alongside digital formats for a diverse cinematic future.
Summary
- The press conference highlights a global initiative started in 2015 to preserve celluloid film involving filmmakers, artists, manufacturers, and institutions.
- Discussions focus on maintaining celluloid as a creative medium distinct from digital technology, emphasizing its artistic and narrative importance.
- Meetings have taken place worldwide including Los Angeles, London, Mexico City, and Mumbai, engaging diverse filmmaking communities.
- The Film Heritage Foundation plays a key role in preserving the history of Indian cinema as originally intended by filmmakers.
- Notable Indian film personalities and industry stakeholders participated, advocating coexistence of celluloid and digital formats.
- Concerns were raised about the neglect and disposal of celluloid films in India despite its use until 2014.
- Kodak’s continued commitment to producing film stock was confirmed to counter misconceptions about film availability.
- The discussion was divided into three main areas: capture (filming), exhibition (projection), and preservation of celluloid film.
- The importance of allowing filmmakers artistic freedom to choose their medium was emphasized, contrasting with digital-only mandates.
- Positive energy and enthusiasm from all sectors were noted as vital to sustaining and advancing film preservation efforts.
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Speaker A
And it was the first time that we encouraged the various communities involved in the use of film from artists, filmmakers, stock manufacturers, lab owners, um, the Academy for Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, festivals, uh, education, um, to sit around one museums as well, to sit around one table and to discuss with great concentration, um, what how we could keep film as a medium available for future generations.
Speaker A
Um, and this was the first of four, this is the first of four, um, the second one was in London, the third one happened in Mexico City without Chris, and then now we're in Mumbai reframing the future of film four.
Speaker A
Yeah, of course.
Speaker B
Why are we here? Why are we here?
Speaker B
Yeah, um, we had a very productive uh, meeting this morning with with a lot of different members of the uh, Indian filmmaking community.
Speaker B
And what and I've been trying to do with uh, these uh, meetings where we bring together uh, all the different facets of film production and exhibition, um, is to really make the case for the place that celluloid film will have uh, in the future in a post-digital world.
Speaker B
Uh, and looking at the importance of of film, celluloid film as a distinct medium, not as a technology that has been replaced by digital imagery, um, but as a creative medium that as an artist and myself as a narrative filmmaker, uh, that we depend upon.
Speaker B
And we've had very productive coming together, uh, a very productive coming together in different filmmaking communities around the world, as said, starting with uh, Hollywood, uh, and then going to Britain, uh, and now coming here to uh, the largest film industry in the world.
Speaker B
Uh, and really trying to engage uh, filmmakers uh, in this discussion about how we can maintain and improve uh, and continue to enjoy uh, a celluloid photochemical analog infrastructure for for filmmaking.
Speaker B
Um, and the significance really of of doing this with the Film Heritage Foundation is that this also has a very, very important part to play in preserving for future generations the history of film, uh, and obviously in this case the history of Indian film for future generations to be able to experience um, the way that those filmmakers who made those films originally intended.
Speaker C
Yeah, uh, thank you Chris and thank you for being with us for this wonderful session we had.
Speaker C
Uh, for the media if you're interested, uh, there was, uh, it was a very great mix. I think for the very first time we had such wonderful, uh, people from different aspects of creativity coming together, whether you had the directors of Bhansali, Bhansali ji or Tasneem Mehta from the museums, or you had Shahrukh Khan and Mr. Bachchan, or you had the exhibitors from Inox, PVR, uh, even from SP Films from the South, or the some of the big DOPs, Santosh Sivan, Sudeep Chatterjee, Jaya Bachchan, Anupama Chopra, Siddharth Roy Kapur.
Speaker C
And I think what is very important as a film preservationist and also as a filmmaker because I I've shot everything on celluloid in whatever I've shot with is that we are fighting a battle to save celluloid films in India, where people are disbanding these films, people are not realizing the importance of celluloid.
Speaker C
And when you have two such great advocates who are talking about coexistence with digital format, coexistence in projection, coexistence in every aspect as a medium of film, it just strengthens our advocacy for celluloid as a preservation tool.
Speaker C
I mean, we shouldn't forget in India till 2014 we were still shooting on film.
Speaker C
I mean, when I shot Celluloid Man, I was so interested that it should be shot with different cameras.
Speaker C
So I actually shot on every possible camera which exists.
Speaker C
Whether it was Super 8, 16, even a 70 Panavision, every possible, and it was, it was because I wanted to experiment because I knew that I'm dealing with a history of films.
Speaker C
And with the history of films, what is fascinating for me is the transition of different periods which we have gone with formats and and and and the change we have seen in terms of celluloid.
Speaker C
And I wanted to have all that in one film because I didn't know when will I get a chance to shoot different formats in different films. And I think that challenge to preserve different formats, the different forms of celluloid, I think that's something which is a challenge even now for us because because people are sort of digitally transferring films in in a sort of format in India, especially for India, where everything is called HD and we are disrespecting the aspect ratios.
Speaker C
So for me this dialogue was of utmost important in projecting film, in shooting in film, and more importantly for preservation.
Speaker C
We have been reading reports everywhere how many films are being lost or thrown, or I visit godowns and, you know, you're just seeing a sad way celluloid has been neglected and people have just moved on.
Speaker C
So I hope their advocacy will help us to preserve this long history.
Speaker C
I mean, till 2014 we were shooting in celluloid.
Speaker C
Do you want to throw that away?
Speaker C
So let's preserve that.
Speaker C
Yeah.
Speaker A
Do we take questions or we carry on?
Speaker C
Yeah, do we take that's it?
Speaker C
Yeah.
Speaker A
Okay, the first, um, in the round table was divided into sort of three sections and the first was, um, about capture or filming.
Speaker A
Um, I should say that also amongst us was uh Jeff Clark, the CEO of Kodak, who in our uh Getty event, um, came out and said that actually Kodak is absolutely committed to film.
Speaker A
And this and again in the public event that evening. And this was a moment where, you know, there had been a lot of uh, you know, speculation that film was over and actually to this day I keep being asked, does Kodak still make film? And and they do, very much so.
Speaker A
And um, so that alone was is to try and stop the understanding that or the misunderstanding that that film is not available anymore. It is available, it's very much available. And I think the whole point of this, and I'm an artist, so my context is in within galleries and and museums.
Speaker A
And what's very important to me and which is as as something that's having spoken to Chris a bit about this is that a lot of um, filmmakers are not allowed to choose, you know, actually don't have the right to or the authority to choose the medium with which they want to make their work.
Speaker A
And in art, of course, in my world, um, you know, mediums and I pluralize it deliberately to give it power are what artists use.
Speaker A
You know, we all know that artists use, you know, paint, they can use print, they can use photography, film, sculpture. That that is makes sense to everybody in this room.
Speaker A
Um, and for, you know, for within cinema to be told you can only use digital was a was a very foolhardy thing. So it was this was the beginning of our discussion was about how to encourage uh people to shoot on film again and saying that it's available was the one the first thing.
Speaker A
And also in a way to counteract and the negativity about film, you know, the pessimism. Um, and so that was and then we moved on to uh exhibition that, you know, it's a very important that, you know, clearly uh cinema is in India and in much of the world in a in a in a mass way is is become digital cinema.
Speaker A
But that doesn't mean that the film's not available in film uh some theaters and and archives and in museums and also um for special occasions like Dunkirk.
Speaker A
And then the final um thing was was preservation. So we split it into these three areas.
Speaker A
Yeah, no, I think so. I mean, I felt very positive energy at the conversation from from all aspects, particularly exhibition.
Speaker A
Um, obviously their frustration is that they get pulled in different directions and they're told to go digital because people want that, and then it's come back to film because people want that.
Speaker A
Um, but I think the uh, the enthusiasm and the excitement that everyone feels around films in this community, uh, is vital and is what will allow great things to to happen in this regard.
Speaker A
Because ultimately it's about getting people together, getting them out of the house and giving them a fantastic experience at the movies.
Speaker C
Thank you so much.
Speaker C
I just want to add that just after the meeting, two two DOPs have confirmed and they have said that very sure they're going to go.
Speaker C
Sudeep Chatterjee who shot Padmavat and who shot all Bhansali's films, and you also had Santosh Sivan who's going to be shooting his next film on film, on celluloid.
Speaker C
So I think the meeting translated into, uh, even even someone like Shahrukh who was there, he had his own way of opinion, he's been, he's messaged me and he's sort of so excited about the fact that that this medium is something which he thinks should be there for all of us.
Speaker C
And we are all very excited.
Speaker A
And actually I just want to say something more about the poetics of the medium.
Speaker A
I felt very strongly this morning, it was quite an emotional meeting.
Speaker A
Because there was actually around that table a profound understanding of the qualities of and the nature of film.
Speaker A
Um, which almost every person felt.
Speaker A
And you know, film is a different medium.
Speaker A
I could not make my work with digital.
Speaker A
And um, I my I my desire is for the works that are made in as artworks are not in any way digitized.
Speaker A
Because for me a digitization of a film made by an artist in an art museum is a facsimile and not the original.
Speaker A
And we've talked about this a lot, but in in the art world, the work, you know, we use the word medium, we use the word medium specificity, which means that if you go and see a painting, it is a painting.
Speaker A
It's not a a digital copy of the painting.
Speaker A
And the museum is the place that protects the original object.
Speaker A
And and we have to we have to apply those rules within um museology.
Speaker A
We have to also apply them to um, you know, within cinema.
Speaker A
But I'm not the person to answer about streaming, of course, you know, it's for Chris, I think.
Speaker C
No, but there's a part of you that wants to convert them to the digital.
Speaker A
Oh, sorry.
Speaker C
No, but there's a part of you that wants to convert them to the digital.
Speaker A
Say that.
Speaker A
Well, for a start, we're going to stop talking about film versus digital.
Speaker A
This whole reframing the future of film is to start bringing in film plus digital.
Speaker A
We're living in a a a landscape where we can have both, you know, everything is about choice.
Speaker A
So it's very strange on this one issue we should be reduced to just one option again and and it's all about choice.
Speaker A
So, um, I don't know if that answers the question because I didn't quite hear it, but.
Speaker C
Because as an artist you should have the choice to decide the medium you want to shoot on.
Speaker C
And that's what the dialogue is all about.
Speaker C
That's what we are all looking at, that I should have the choice to preserve the film the way I want to preserve it.
Speaker C
And I'm sure if I've made a film, I I I don't like to see Celluloid Man, I try to push.
Speaker C
I remember when it was chosen in Telluride and uh, they said it's too expensive to ship the print.
Speaker C
I said I'll offer to pay for it.
Speaker C
But I'd rather have you watch in the way I have shot the film.
Speaker C
And that's what we all aspire to be as creative people is that we want the original format in which way we have shot the film to be seen in that.
Speaker C
And I think that's the respect which we must have and we must feel for it.
Speaker C
So, here you are, I mean, Chris was glad to that.
Speaker B
It's also a good film, come on.
Speaker C
Yeah.
Speaker B
Yeah, I think, uh, it's exactly the point, which is, uh, I work in in a field, uh, where the audience is constantly being underestimated by people who finance the films and distribute the films.
Speaker B
There's often a feeling of nobody cares, nobody knows the difference.
Speaker B
And actually when you talk about myths to be dispelled, I think the main myth is when this discussion has arisen in the past about why somebody would choose to shoot film, even if it seems more difficult than than shooting digitally, they speak as if filmmaking were a logical and a pragmatic thing to do.
Speaker B
And it's not, and no film is logical and pragmatic.
Speaker B
Films are about dreams, they're about magic, they're about escapism and and experience.
Speaker B
And so to a certain extent you have to embrace your emotional side and your feelings about the medium and whether you want to work that way or or not work that way.
Speaker B
Those things become become important.
Speaker B
And I think we see that just as much from audiences as we do from from filmmakers. We're constantly in dialogue with audiences, indeed, we are the audience ourselves.
Speaker B
And uh, we forget that at our peril.
Speaker C
And and somewhere I feel not enough choices have been given to the audience too.
Speaker C
In India, they they don't have.
Speaker C
I mean, really, if you really want to see a film on 35mm or 70mm, where do you go and see it?
Speaker C
And that's what we that's what the whole point of the dialogue that to make that space available to see whether exhibitors can come forward.
Speaker C
Where there could be, you know, I was just before uh got in touch with me.
Speaker C
I was in constant dialogue to have 35mm screening in the preview theater of Liberty as a club.
Speaker C
Where they can experience the 35mm because we didn't have our own space, uh, we don't have a museum or a space.
Speaker C
We're a very young foundation.
Speaker C
And uh, I think this dialogue will help that to to sort of feature.
Speaker C
Even even the NCPA where we're going to be talking, they have 35mm screenings, they have 16mm now being projected, but they haven't been working.
Speaker C
And the inspiration we will get out of this is the fact that you will see them running back soon.
Speaker C
So I think the viewers are going to care, it it's it's going to change and uh, we hopefully this dialogue will help us to make it very soon.
Speaker C
Thank you.
Speaker B
Thank you.
Speaker A
Thank you very much everyone.
Speaker C
Thank you.
Topics:Christopher NolanTacita Deancelluloid filmfilm preservationFilm Heritage FoundationKodak filmdigital vs filmIndian cinemafilm exhibitionfilm industry advocacy
