30 Years Old and Ready for their Close Up

Posted on 2 October, 2014

On Friday 3^rd October the National Film and Sound Archive of Australia will celebrate its 30^th birthday with an evening of festivities – but what is behind the glitz, the glamour and the Platypus patterned stained glass? 

As Australia’s national capital, Canberra is home to many wonderful national institutions, all fascinating, mostly free of charge and right on our doorstep. Just one of the great joys of living in this garden city. Each has its own collection, its own niche in telling our stories and holding our treasured memories.

However, what happens when the interweb invades your territory? How can a film and sound collection keep pace as digital speeds zoom into hyperspace?

The National Film and Sound Archive of Australia is the nation’s living archive, collecting, preserving and sharing our rich audiovisual heritage.” ~ NFSA

The NFSA doesn’t just look after the sequinned costumes from Priscilla, or last remaining moments of The Story of the Kelly Gang, the collection includes news footage, TV shows, radio and sound recordings (famously, the oldest of these is of a chook clucking) and perhaps the most precious items—home movies of Australians being, well, Australians.

Like just about anyone who has ever turned 30, the NFSA is using the current climate of uncertainty and this landmark anniversary as a chance to take stock, to find a way forward for a living archive in a digital world where everyone online curates sound and film grabs.

When I talked to CEO Michael Loebenstein earlier this week he discussed this process and the daunting task facing one of the smallest national institutions—the race to digitise collection items recorded on wax cylinders, film stock, or magnetic tape before these deteriorate and are lost forever.

He mentioned one of his favourite items, officially declared a treasure last year – the few minutes of 1930s black and white footage of the last Tasmanian Tiger. Unfortunately, no one ever recorded the sound the tiger made so this will always be a silent film. Even so, we have footage of a creature that no longer exists, we can show to our children and we can watch it ourselves. In this form at least the tiger will live forever.

Canberra’s National Film & Sound Archive

The newest sound acquisition is also one of the oldest — the first commercial recording (1898) made by an Australian – and she was a soprano. An important note in the story of women in the recording industry, this recording will one day be available to the public because of the NFSA staff and their work. Michael sees this an integral part of the future of the NFSA but how can they make the collection (numbering more than two million items) even more accessible to all Australians?

Keep doing what you do so well would be my answer.

Last year the NFSA gave our city a gift– the gorgeously redigitised footage of the 1913 ceremony when our capital was named Canberra – and if you haven’t seen it yet, you are in for a treat. The documentary footage was actually directed by Raymond Longford (The Sentimental Bloke), working for Spencer Pictures, and arguably the greatest Australian director of his day.

Now this year it’s their big birthday and they are throwing a party for us (the NFSA totally rocks).

As Michael says, “We are presenting an evening of free special events to celebrate sound and the moving image, our memories and our stories, as well as the NFSA and its people.”

You can find all the details on the NFSA website but if this taste of the FREE goodies on offer doesn’t sound like a party…you are just too hard to please!

30th Birthday Highlights

• Vinyl Lounge from 5.30pm: Mirror Ball – Tribute to the 80s. New wave, rock and pop booming out as it was meant to be heard – from vinyl records! Can I wear my New Romantics face paint?

• Arc Cinema from 7.30pm – highlights from the TV and film collection including … Gallipoli. This film is part of our DNA, it is, as Michael says, ‘Capital H History’ but also manages to humanise a huge story. We care about each character, each moment – and no one ever gets through that last charge without a lump in their throat. If you haven’t seen it – now is your chance, on a big screen!

I know where I will be on Friday night – but where would we all be without the NFSA?

Giveaway

We’re giving HerCanberra readers the chance to win one of five double passes to the Past & Future screening this Friday night. To enter simply tell us below which university is neighbour to the National Film & Sound Archives in Canberra? Winners will be notified by 10am Friday 3 October.

The essentials

What: National Film & Sound Archives 30th Birthday

When: From 5.30pm Friday 3 October, 2014; Past & Future Screening begins at 7.30pm (bookings essential)

Where: National Film & Sound Archive, McCoy Circuit Acton

Cost: Free