Tuesday, July 26, 2016

Something Good About America - The National Film Registry


"Established by the National Film Preservation Act of 1988, the National Film Preservation Board works to ensure the survival, conservation and increased public availability of America's film heritage, including: advising the Librarian on its recommendations for annual selections to the National Film Registry, apprising the Librarian of changing trends and policies in the field of film preservation, and counseling the Librarian on ongoing implementation of the National Film Preservation Plan." 

Last night I watched a really interesting documentary These Amazing Shadows. You can see it almost anywhere from Amazon to YouTube. The National Film Registry has been around for some time now but I don't think we hear that much about it.

I personally think this is a good use of our taxpayer dollars, preserving our past for future generations. Watch the film I think you might agree. What is chilling are the number of films which have been lost. Back in the day the movie studios just didn't think anyone would ever be interested, cans of film negatives were just tossed on storage shelves, left to rot in many cases.

It is interesting to see how films are used to tell stories, good and bad, truths and lies. Stories to inform and stories to persuade. And most of all stories to entertain.

You can read more about the National Film Registry here at the Library of Congress website. And if you are curious about what films have made it to this honored list you are just a click away to find the complete  Film Registry Listing.


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