Theme: No Time, No Money: Moving Image and Sound Archiving in Emergency Conditions
Hanoi, Vietnam
After four years since its first ever joint congress, SEAPAVAA makes a reaffirmation of its commitment to international cooperation. Last April 18 to 24, SEAPAVAA’s annual conference was held jointly with the 60th Congress of FIAF (International Federation of Film Archives) at the Melia Hotel in Hanoi, Vietnam.
The five-day conference was the second international and regional gathering of audiovisual archivists in Southeast Asia. SEAPAVAA’s first joint congress was held with IASA (International Association of Sound and Audiovisual Archives) in Singapore last 2000. SEAPAVAA revisited Hanoi with over 120 participants from all over the globe.
Guest of honor Mr. Pham Quang Nghi, Vietnam’s Minister of Culture and Information, welcomed all the delegates to the symposium and to Vietnam. He expressed gratitude to FIAF and SEAPAVAA for sharing their experiences in promoting the archive work. SEAPAVAA President, Ms. Belina Capul, and FIAF President, Ms. Eva Orbanz, stressed in their welcoming remarks the need for cooperation to pursue the common goal of preserving the world’s AV heritage. Mme. Hoang Nhu Yen, Director of Vietnam Film Institute, on her welcoming message expressed that the meeting of film and audiovisual archivists this year is marked by a special event, that it is the first time FIAF and SEAPAVAA has jointly organized their annual symposium in Hanoi.
The joint congress explored the theme No Time, No Money: Moving Image and Sound Archiving under Emergency Conditions. The symposium was divided into sessions. Giving the introductory presentation was Mr. Ray. Edmondson, pointing out that archivists need to help each other in facing new challenges while achieving solidarity. The first session focused on identifying possible solutions to grow an archive’s support base, to successfully advocate its needs, to persuade government authorities and to manage perceptions. The second session discussed practical steps to undertake if the global task of preserving the world’s audiovisual memory is to succeed. The third session presented technical implications in facing preservation challenges with insufficient resources. Current practices to “buy time” in the context of rapid technical change were featured. A concluding panel discussion summarized the symposium and generated practical recommendations that build on existing initiatives already underway.