The 27th annual meeting of INEDITS took place in Strasbourg, 23-25 November 2017. As well as bringing members together, this year the meeting examined how universities contribute to the collection, preservation and promotion of amateur film.
For the opening, an evening of events was scheduled at Cinéma L’Odyssée on Thursday 23rd November at 8 pm. After a brief introduction to the 2017 edition, there was a presentation of the ERC Body Capital research project. Using audiovisual resources, the project aims to establish a social and cultural history of the body in twentieth century Europe. Then INEDITS members presented amateur films from their collections on the theme ‘The Body and Water’, with an introduction by Christian Bonah (Université de Strasbourg) and Anja Laukötter (Max Planck Institute for Human Development, Berlin) who co-direct the Body Capital project.
The following day there was opportunity for discussion between film archives, universities and researchers on the preservation and study of amateur film.
Three international round-table discussions took place on the following topics:
- university contributions to the collection, preservation and promotion of amateur film
- the relations between researchers and institutions preserving the films
- the legal issues raised when films are shared and made available both in the university environment and to the broader public.
INEDITS hosted researchers and curators from Germany, the United Kingdom, France, Italy, Switzerland and the Czech Republic. Debates were conducted in French and English.
On Friday evening, the documentary film Journal filmé d’un exil (Film diary of an exile, 2017) by Magali Magne was screened, with Director present. Harry Bernas’ voice narrates the 8mm film made by his father from 1936 up to the end of the Second World War as they travelled through Austria, France and the United States.
The meeting closed on Saturday morning. Time was made available to members who wish to present their projects for the preservation, promotion and study of amateur film. Finally, the General Assembly, open to members only, reported back on INEDITS activities over the past year and up-coming projects.
The 27th annual meeting of INEDITS was organized with MIRA, the University of Strasbourg, ERC Body Capital research programme, the laboratory SAGE (UMR7363) the EntreLacs European project and the Cinémathèque des Pays de Savoie et de l’Ain. It is funded by Centre National du Cinéma et de l’Image Animée (CNC), DRAC Grand Est, Conseil régional Grand Est, Conseil départemental du Bas-Rhin, Strasbourg Eurométropole, and MWA and Film Fabriek companies.