The recent deal to continue production of motion picture film at Kodak is being praised from Hollywood to Rochester.
The senior curator of motion pictures at the George Eastman House says the agreement between Kodak and major Hollywood movie studios is something to celebrate.
"This is really a groundbreaking moment in the history of the archival movement. It is the first time that we find a tangible sign of commitment from the industry to what we perceive as a major cultural cause in the name of humankind,” said Paolo Cherchi Usai. He said film and digital cinematography should be seen as two distinct art forms.
"The fact that a film is available on DVD does not mean that a film is preserved. A film is fully preserved only when it can be shown in its original format. And in the case of all the films made and still being made on film, what we want to preserve is the cinematic experience."
Cherchi Usai says Kodak and the George Eastman House are the protagonists of the renaissance of motion picture film stock.
He says the L. Jeffrey Selznick School of Film Preservation at Eastman House, with students arriving every academic year, has created a new generation of film preservationists from 28 different countries since 1996.
Acclaimed Hollywood director Martin Scorsese also had praise for the Kodak deal to continue motion picture film production. He said only a miniscule percentage of the works comprising his art form has not been shot on film.
