Past Film/Video | Documentaries

Film, the Living Record of Our Memory

(Inés Toharia, 2021)

Preceded by Her Violet Kiss (Bill Morrison, 2021)

An image of a film strip on a light table with a magnifying glass laying on top of it

Get ready for this year’s Cinema Revival with this essential primer on film preservation and the importance of protecting cinematic history.

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.

A sepia tinted image of a woman in Victorian dress throwing her head back while two women stand behind her

Her Violet Kiss | Image courtesy of the artist

A sepia tinted image of a person looking upwards. The image is cracked and has burns on it

Her Violet Kiss | Image courtesy of the artist

Grover Crisp

Grover Crisp in Film, Our Living History | Image © El Grifilm Productions

Margaret Bodde

Margaret Bodde in Film, the Living Record of Our Memory | Image © El Grifilm Productions

Martin Scorsese

Martin Scorsese in Film, the Living Record of Our Memory | Image © El Grifilm Productions

FILM/VIDEO PROGRAMS MADE POSSIBLE BY
Cardinal Health
Kaufman Development

ADDITIONAL SUPPORT PROVIDED BY
Rohauer Collection Foundation

WEXNER CENTER PROGRAMS MADE POSSIBLE BY
The Wexner Family
Greater Columbus Arts Council
The Columbus Foundation
Ohio Arts Council
American Electric Power Foundation
L Brands Foundation
Adam Flatto
Mary and C. Robert Kidder
Bill and Sheila Lambert
Institute of Museum and Library Services
Nationwide Foundation
Vorys, Sater, Seymour, and Pease
Arlene and Michael Weiss

ADDITIONAL SUPPORT PROVIDED BY
Mike and Paige Crane
Pete Scantland
Axium Packaging
Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams
President Kristina M. Johnson and Mrs. Veronica Meinhard
Nancy Kramer
Huntington
Lisa Barton
Johanna DeStefano
Russell and Joyce Gertmenian
Liza Kessler and Greg Henchel
Ron and Ann Pizzuti
Joyce and Chuck Shenk
Bruce and Joy Soll
Clark and Sandra Swanson
Jones Day

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Past Film/Video

Film, the Living Record of Our Memory