24/05/2005

The Cultural and Educational Committee of the European Parliament based in Strasbourg has just approved Gyula Hegvi’s report on the preservation of our European film patrimony. This decision enhances the economic, cultural, and pedagogical importance of this patrimony, ‘the beloved son of our European culture’, as the Socialist European MP called it.

Film critic Gyula Hegvi’s report suggests all European films should be gathered in a single archival resource, and films still designed to be circulated should be filed in a catalogue (including the ones which have not benefitted from any public support). The 25 members of the Union are therefore encouraged to find common standards for their archiving methods. ‘If we can actually implement that, we will ensure our film patrimony is a shared public asset’, said the MP in the speach she delivered before her fellow-MPs.

To increase everybody’s knowledge of the cultural production of each of the member-countries, the report also suggests a database network should be created by the authorities responsible for that particular matter, namely the European Council and the European Audiovisual Observatory.

The report also underlines the fact that our film patrimony is a great example of our cultural diversity which should be promoted even more through the creation of a network of film academies and libraries.