SEAPAVAA Newsletter
Jan-Sep 1998

ASEAN audiovisual database on internet

Country Updates

Features

Dr. NGO HIEU CHI, VFI senior manager and senior resource person of SEAPAVAA-UNESCO training seminar

A two-week advanced training seminar on the treatment of vinegar syndrome and mold affected films will be held from November 2 to 13, 1998 at the Vietnam Film Institute in Hanoi, Vietnam. This practical hands-on training seminar is a course on the methods and techniques that can be applied to various film deterioration problems, particularly vinegar syndrome and mold, which are the major preservation concerns in the Asia-Pacific region and is the first joint project to be undertaken by the South East Asia-Pacific Audio Visual Archive Association (SEAPAVAA) and the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).

UNESCO was established in 1945 when the world was recovering from two devastating global wars. The organization's main objective is to contribute to peace and security in the world by promoting intellectual cooperation among nations through education, science, culture and communication. Its functions include correcting the imbalance in the world-wide distribution of scientific and technological expertise, safeguarding the world's natural and cultural heritage, and preserving cultural identities and traditions.

The advanced training seminar in Hanoi, which will bring together preservation officers from the Asia-Pacific region, aims to achieve the following objectives:

• to provide participants with standard and appropriate treatments for film deterioration as well as theoretical understanding and practical experience in the treatment techniques;

• to identify equipment and chemicals, suppliers, and possible modifications of existing equipment and facilities for film treatments and restoration applications;

• to develop a core group of regional officers equipped with skills and technical knowledge in the various treatment of film deterioration and specializing in film preservation techniques appropriate for the region; and

• to promote professional development and cooperation in the region and to serve as a forum to facilitate exchange of information on the practices and concerns in film archiving.

Resource persons for this training seminar will be coming from the Vietnam Film Institute, the Philippine Information Agency, and the National Film and Sound Archive of Australia -- all SEAPAVAA member institutions which have been carrying out a number of researches and treatments addressing the problems of film restoration and preservation. The course will include an overview of archiving in the region, lectures and discussions, open forum, and practical hands-on workshops. Due to the advanced nature of the seminar and to ensure maximum benefit from the course, participants will have to satisfy a number of criteria such as an extensive experience in the field of film preservation, carry out reading assignments as required, and have the ability to echo learnings to colleagues in the institute or country represented.

TOP | PAGE 1