Conservation And Restoration Of Film Heritage A 2023/2024

The course focuses on physical and technological components of cinema, considering them both as an integral part of cinema history and as a fundamental knowledge to preserve and enhance the cinematographic heritage.

The first part takes in account the development of cinema, through the different technological transitions (sound, color, gauges) and the methods of their analysis, identification and cataloguing, for the creation of records, catalogues, filmographies and databases aiming to know and safeguard the cinematographic heritage.

The second part is dedicated to the conservation methods and to the institutions, such as film archives and international organizations, dealing with safeguard, conservation, collection and enhancement of the cinematographic heritage.

The third part is about the preservation and restoration principles of the cinematographic heritage, considering the main methodological approaches and the technical processes, analogue and digital, both in theory and through case studies.

Classes will include presentations of film clips, websites and online repertories, participations of scholars and experts, as well as visits to film heritage institutions.

The course will be integrated by laboratory practical activities including analysis, identification and cataloguing of film and video elements (dates and time will be communicated separately).

The basic textbooks for the preparation of the exam are the following:

LAUREA TRIENNALE

• Paolo Cherchi Usai, La cineteca di Babele, 965-1067, in Teorie, Strumenti, memorie. Storia del Cinema Mondiale, a cura di Gian Piero Brunetta, volume quinto, Torino, Giulio Einaudi Editore, 2001.
• The Digital Statement Part III. Image Restoration, Manipulation, Treatment, and Ethics (by Robert Byrne, Caroline Fournier, Anne Gant, and Ulrich Ruedel) -  https://www.fiafnet.org/pages/E-Resources/Digital-Statement-part-III.html 

For students attending lessons regularly, in addition, two of the following textbooks, whereas, for non-attending, three of the following are required, at their own choice:

• Simone Venturini (a cura di), Il restauro cinematografico. Principi, teorie, metodi, Campanotto, Udine, 2006.

• Rossella Catanese, Lacune binarie. Il restauro dei film e le tecnologie digitali, Bulzoni, Roma, 2013.

• Stella Dagna, Perché restaurare i film?, Pisa, ETS, 2014. 

• Paolo Caneppele, Denis Lotti, La documentazione cinematografica ovvero le fonti storico-cinematografiche. Manuale per studiosi, studenti, appassionati, Editrice Persiani, Ancona, 2014.

LAUREA MAGISTRALE

• Paolo Cherchi Usai, La cineteca di Babele, 965-1067, in Teorie, Strumenti, memorie. Storia del Cinema Mondiale, Gian Piero Brunetta (ed.), 5°, Torino, Giulio Einaudi Editore, 2001.

• Giovanna Fossati, Dai grani ai pixel, Persiani, Bologna 2021 (or, in English:From Grains To Pixels, The Archival Life of Film in Transition, Amsterdam University Press, 2018) is available at: https://www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctv8bt181.
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• The Digital Statement Part III. Image Restoration, Manipulation, Treatment, and Ethics (by Robert Byrne, Caroline Fournier, Anne Gant, and Ulrich Ruedel) -  https://www.fiafnet.org/pages/E-Resources/Digital-Statement-part-III.html (per la traduzione italiana si invita a contattare la docente).

For students attending lessons regularly it is required, in addition, one of the following textbooks, whereas, for non-attending, two of the following are required, at their own choice:

• Paolo Cherchi Usai, Una passione infiammabile. Guida allo studio del cinema muto, Roma – Torino, Centro Sperimentale di Cinematografia – UTET Libreria, 2022 (or, in English: Burning Passions: An Introduction to the Study of Silent Cinema, London, BFI, 1994).

• Stella Dagna, Perché restaurare i film?, Pisa, ETS, 2014. 

• Simone Venturini (ed.), Il restauro cinematografico. Principi, teorie, metodi, Campanotto, Udine, 2006.

Students having already taken the exam for the “Triennale” degree must agree with the professor upon a separate specific program, which includes a written essay on specific topics, such as restoration case studies or translation and commentary of international papers.

The slides presented during the lessons and the viewing of a selection of restored films (available online o home video editions, to be listed separately in the class Teams channel (https://teams.microsoft.com/l/channel/19%3a3AK_9jIyt0sT9xwIIQhcag-xdIM4QSwenLFNvqbuWs41%40thread.tacv2/Generale?groupId=1fc24ad7-4a0c-42e9-bb5d-540674b35adb&tenantId=24c5be2a-d764-40c5-9975-82d08ae47d0e), are integral part of the exam).

Non-attending students are invited to contact the teacher in due advance so as to define a specific program.