Roger Smither

Why should there be a FIAF? In my opinion, the first and overwhelming reason is to provide a voice - an internationally recognised and respected voice - that will speak out on issues relating to the preservation of the world's moving picture history, and particularly for the part of that history that relates to the medium of film. Precisely because technology may be moving in directions that erode the boundaries between film and other moving image media, such a voice is needed to make sure nothing irrevocable is lost to that process of erosion.

From this basic premise, all sorts of lesser concerns follow automatically - for example, a concern for preservation is meaningless without a commitment to access, and both are self-defeating if access is not given at the highest possible standards of quality. A definition of quality that is rooted in a commitment to preservation will ensure that ethical questions are not overlooked. And so on.

Why else should there be a FIAF? To provide a forum in which people who share the concerns just described can meet to share and exchange information and other resources; to discuss common policies in the face of common concerns and to plan and implement common action; and to draw strength from the realisation that they form part of a community.

What sort of an organisation should FIAF be? In terms first put to the Federation (I believe) by David Francis, the sort of FIAF that makes most sense to me is one that invites into membership organisations that share its concerns and meet a particular set of standards, not one that worries unduly about the type of organisation they happen to be. I have provided below my own draft for such a set of standards - which serves also to define what I consider to be the relevant concerns.

I do not, in this short paper, explore the question of whether there should be one category of membership (as distinct from categories of affiliation) or several. One could envisage a single category of "member" or a range of categories to be based on the size or scope of archive members, or on their relative affluence or poverty: various models are available. It is, however, important to this vision of FIAF that all members be accorded equal rights in the Federation, and have an equal say in its administration.

There should also be available other categories of affiliation for organisations (or individuals?) that share the Federation's concerns but do not qualify for membership. Non-member affiliates should have a say in the administration of the Federation - perhaps through one or more places on the Executive Committee - but should not be eligible to become its senior officers.

Draft Set of Standards to Govern FIAF Membership:

To qualify for membership of FIAF, an organisation must:

1. be committed to the preservation of a moving image collection, at least part of which consists of film material not held elsewhere;
2. preserve the unique part of its collection to the best possible standards in the original format or the closest possible approximation to the original format;
3. co-operate with other members of the Federation, particularly (if requested) in the preservation of material in its collection that is not unique;
4. improve its own and the public's knowledge of its collection by preparing an accurate catalogue;
5. without compromising the archival integrity of its collection, make that collection accessible to the public in a range of activities that will include the presentation of film in the correct cinematic manner, for preference in its own premises; and
6. demonstrate to the Federation by reports, by receiving visits of inspection, and by such other means as the rules of the Federation shall require, the reality and extent of its adherence to the above principles.

An organisation that operates in FIAF's area of concern and identifies with its policies and principles but does not qualify for membership may become an affiliate of the Federation in the role either of Associate or of Subscriber.

The Executive Committee of the Federation shall determine the appropriate category of affiliation for each candidate on admission, taking into account the opinions of any existing members in the applicant's country, and may review or revoke affiliation thereafter for reasons based on the affiliate's performance.

Organisations operating primarily for profit shall be eligible for Subscriber status only.

The points in this set of draft standards that I consider to be strengths are the emphasis on the preservation of film which nobody else is already preserving and the commitment to the original film format and to the cinema experience. This establishes a clear constituency for a Federation that has a raison d'être and identity distinct from those of other "archival" or "audio-visual" bodies, while leaving it free to co-operate with such other bodies as appropriate.

I am not, however, blind to the fact that this basis for membership has its weaknesses as well, and I cannot claim to be 100% certain that I have an answer to all of them. The weaknesses that I am aware of (other people may spot more) and the answers that I do have are set out below:

Problem 2: This basis for membership excludes reference to documentation, a prominent feature in the present definition.
I am not convinced that the commitment to documentation needs to be stated: a film archive will hardly be able to function without a library, but it is not its library that makes it a film archive. The purpose of a film archive, in my view, is to preserve film: other activities are secondary. At the same time, a library - and other worthwhile activities - can exist in other film-related organisations that are not film archives. We should encourage documentation centres, cinema museums, university departments of film studies, film schools and all sorts of other institutions to support our work (and my draft makes them welcome as Associates and Subscribers) but without obscuring the essence of what that work is.

Problem 3: The commitment to preservation, cataloguing and access provided in the definition is clumsily worded and possibly inadequate.
I hope we could get round this by giving more details of what we expect in the questionnaire that candidates for membership would be expected to complete, but I am also open to any suggestions for improvements to the wording supplied.

There is much more to say on this subject, but I do not want to say it all myself: these ideas need full discussion in an open forum.

La première raison d’être de la FIAF est celle de se donner une voix reconnue et respectée au niveau mondial qui énoncerait et proclamerait les principes relatifs à la préservation de l’histoire mondiale des images en mouvement, en particulier la partie de l’histoire qui traite du cinéma.

Une autre raison d’être de la FIAF est celle de se constituer en forum qui permette de partager et d’échanger des informations, de résoudre des problèmes communs, d’appliquer des politiques et d’entreprendre des actions communes, de renforcer le sentiment de ses affiliés d’appartenance à une communauté.

Une seconde question, "Quel genre d’association devrait être la FIAF?", permet à l’auteur d’aborder aussi bien le sujet de la composition de la Fédération que les conditions d’adhésion à celle-ci. Il préconise un modèle selon lequel les inquiétudes des candidats (préserver des images en mouvement, avec attention spéciale portée aux éléments uniques de la collection, coopérer avec les autres membres de la Fédération, améliorer la connaissance de la collection par l’élaboration d’un catalogue précis, permettre l’accès aux collections sans mettre en danger leurs éléments, communiquer les avancements des travaux et recherches au moyen de rapports, etc.) déterminent les conditions d'admission.

L’auteur n’ignore pas les limitations d’un tel modèle, en particulier le danger que représente la prolifération des archives et la dispersion des moyens qui en découle. Il invite les lecteurs à élargir le débat au sein d’un prochain open forum.

Nuevas bases para un a política de adhesión a la FIAF.

En su contribución a la reflexión sobre el futuro de la FIAF, el autor introduce el tema de la razón de su existencia preguntando «¿Porqué debería existir la FIAF?». Con la respuesta a esta pregunta, surgen las ideas y conclusiones más evidentes, de las que derivan todas las demás.

La primera justificación de la FIAF es la de ser una voz reconocida y respetada internacionalmente que enuncie y proclame los principios relativos a la preservación de la historia mundial de las imágenes en movimiento y, en particular, la parte de su historia que atañe a las películas cinematográficas.

Otra razón esencial de la existencia de la FIAF es la de representar un forum que permita compartir e intercambiar informaciones, resolver problemas comunes, aplicar políticas y acciones comunes, que permite a sus integrantes sentirse formando parte de una comunidad.

Una segunda pregunta, «¿Qué clase de organización debería ser la FIAF?», permite al autor abordar el tema de la composición de la Federación, las reglas de adhesión a la misma, y propiciar un modelo según el que se tendría en cuenta las inquietudes de los candidatos (preservar imágenes en movimiento, con especial cuidado hacia los elementos únicos de la colección, cooperar con los otros miembros de la Federación, mejorar el conocimiento de la colección elaborando un catálogo preciso, permitir el acceso a la colección sin poner en peligro los elementos de la colección, informar sobre los trabajos cumplidos mediante informes, etc.) como requisitos de admisión.

El autor no ignora las limitaciones de este modelo ni, en particular, el peligro que representa la proliferación de los archivos y la dispersión de recursos que aquella provoca. Invita a sus lectores a participar a un amplio debate que podría ser objeto de un próximo open forum.