Film, the Living Record of Our Memory

With thousands of films available at our fingertips through any number of streaming platforms, it's easy to take the availability and longevity of our collective film heritage for granted. Yet many significant films are not only unavailable but already lost to time, and the world’s preservationists are in an ongoing race to save what they can for future generations.

Featuring interviews with archivists, technicians, scholars, and more, Film, the Living Record of Our Memory allows those on the front line of film preservation to explain what it is they do and why it remains so vitally important. Numerous past Wex guests are featured in the documentary, including filmmakers Bill Morrison and Martin Scorsese and preservation experts including Margaret Bodde, Mark Toscano, Aboubakar Sanogo, Grover Crisp, Amy Heller, Dennis Doros, Dan Streible, Mike Pogorzelski, and more! (119 mins., DCP)

The screening is preceded by Her Violet Kiss, Bill Morrison’s latest example of cinematic alchemy in which he transforms distressed footage from the 1928 German film Pawns of Passion into a haunting new work. (5 mins., DCP)

Cinema Revival: A Festival of Film Restoration returns February 24–28. See the complete lineup and get tickets here.