Swiss Film Archive Explained

Cinémathèque suisse
Former Name:Archives cinématographiques suisses
Size:250px
Type:NPO
Status:Private foundation
Purpose:Cinematheque
Cinematography study centre
National museum
Headquarters:Casino de Montbenon
Location:Lausanne, Switzerland
Coords:46.5206°N 6.625°W
Leader Title:Chief Executive
Leader Name:Frédéric Maire
Leader Title2:Chairman
Leader Name2:Jean Studer
Affiliations:International Federation of Film Archives
Budget:CHF5 million
Num Staff:100 (total)

The Cinémathèque suisse (Swiss Cinematheque), formerly the Archives cinématographiques suisses (Swiss Film Archive), is a Swiss state-approved non-profit foundation headquartered in Lausanne. It aims to collect, protect, study and present film archives.[1] [2] The Swiss Cinematheque has its archives in Penthaz and a branch office in Zürich.

History

Timeline

With the support of the Kunstmuseum Basel, a group of admirers of independent films[3] founded the Archives cinématographiques suisses (Swiss Film Archive) in Basel in 1943.[4] [5]

Subsequently, the Association cinémathèque suisse (Swiss Cinematheque Association) was created.[6] The archives were transferred to Lausanne to the Cinémathèque suisse (Swiss Cinematheque), co-founded by Freddy Buache in 1948 and inaugurated by Erich von Stroheim in 1950.[4] [7] In precarious condition, the Swiss Cinematheque was located on in Lausanne.[3] [6] At the time, it had no projection room.[6]

The Swiss Cinematheque was one of the first members of the International Federation of Film Archives.[3]

Claude Emery was the Swiss Cinematheque's first director until Buache held this position from 1951 to 1996.[7]

In 1981, the Cinematheque acquired and moved to the former Casino of Montbenon in Lausanne to establish itself in a better environment.[3] [6]

In 1992, the Swiss Cinematheque began to store archives in a Penthaz building.

The Swiss Cinematheque has been considered "one of the ten most important cinematheques in the world" by the International Federation of Film Archives.[8] [9]

In 1995, the collection of the Swiss Cinematheque ranked sixth among the "most important in the world" after those of Bois d'Arcy, Brussels, London, Moscow, and Washington .[10]

The Swiss Federal Office of Culture has been the foundation's primary funder with the City of Lausanne and the canton of Vaud.[11] [12]

was its director from 1996 to 2008.[13] [14]

In the early 2000s, a project was initiated to make the Penthaz site the first federal building dedicated to cinema.[8]

Dumont was succeeded by in 2008.[15]

was appointed director in 2009.[16]

In 2010, renovation and expansion work on the Penthaz building began.[8]

Jean Studer, chairman of the Bank Council of the Swiss National Bank and lawyer, became chairman of the Foundation Board of the Swiss Cinematheque on 1 July 2016, thus succeeding Marc Wehrlin.[17]

Activities

Filmmakers Jean-Luc Godard and Jean-Marie Straub were affiliated with the Swiss Cinematheque and maintained close relations with the foundation's members throughout their careers.[18] [19]

The premises in Penthaz became the Swiss Cinematheque Research and Archiving Centre.[8] It was inaugurated on 6 September 2019 in the presence of Federal Councillor Alain Berset and Vaud State Councillor Cesla Amarelle.[8] The total cost was 50.6 million Swiss francs.[8] Located near Lausanne, in the canton of Vaud, the 13000m2 building properly stores hundreds of thousands of film reels and posters.[20] The archives are grouped on three levels in the basement of the Penthaz centre on an area of 5300m2.[8]

On average, 400 films are donated annually to the Swiss Cinematheque by filmmakers, distributors and collectors.[3] Around 15 to 20 films are restored annually by the involvement of the Swiss Cinematheque's staff, which includes 100 professionals, 75 of whom work full-time, as of 2023.[3] The 100 people working for the foundation are spread over three sites: Lausanne, Penthaz and Zürich.[2] About 50 people work at Penthaz, while the branch office is in Zürich and the seat is in Lausanne.[8]

Holdings

As of 2019, the Swiss Cinematheque holds 700,000 reels, 85,000 films, 10,000 scripts, 26,000 books, 500,000 posters, 2,000 old cameras, 3 million photos and 1 million posters.[2] [21] It also includes quantities of documents and other Swiss and foreign cinema objects.[8]

See also

Notes and References

  1. News: della Pietra . Nicole . 13 August 2011 . De la cave de la paroisse à la Cinémathèque suisse . From the parish cellar to the Swiss Cinematheque . live . fr . . https://web.archive.org/web/20230801111713/https://www.swissinfo.ch/fre/culture/de-la-cave-de-la-paroisse-à-la-cinémathèque-suisse/30891956 . 1 August 2023 . 1 August 2023 . Bottom of page > scrolling table > Cinematheque suisse.
  2. News: 21 September 2019 . André Chevailler, Monsieur Cinéma Suisse . André Chevailler, Mr Swiss Cinema . live . fr . . https://archive.today/20230802111337/https://www.estrepublicain.fr/culture-loisirs/2019/09/21/andre-chevailler-monsieur-cinema-suisse . 2 August 2023 . 2 August 2023.
  3. News: Simantob . Eduardo . Pisani . Carlo . 28 July 2023 . The Cinémathèque Suisse turns 75, and film lovers can rejoice . live . . https://web.archive.org/web/20230801134744/https://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/culture/the-cinémathèque-suisse-turns-75--and-film-lovers-can-rejoice/48669812 . 1 August 2023 . 1 August 2023.
  4. News: Gobbo . Stéphane . 30 May 2019 . Freddy Buache, disparition d'un passeur . Freddy Buache, the disappearance of a ferryman . live . fr . . https://archive.today/20230730182212/https://www.letemps.ch/culture/ecrans/freddy-buache-disparition-dun-passeur-0 . 30 July 2023 . 1 August 2023.
  5. News: Marcorelles . Louis . 5 November 1981 . L'inauguration de la Cinémathèque de Lausanne. Les enfants de Freddy Buache . The inauguration of the Cinematheque of Lausanne. The children of Freddy Buache . live . fr . . https://archive.today/20230730182845/https://www.lemonde.fr/archives/article/1981/11/05/l-inauguration-de-la-cinematheque-de-lausanne-les-enfants-de-freddy-buache_3043645_1819218.html . 30 July 2023 . 30 July 2023.
  6. Dumont . Etienne . 28 September 2018 . Pully/Le Musée d'art présente des affiches de la Cinémathèque suisse . Pully/The Art Museum presents film posters from the Swiss Cinematheque . live . fr . . https://archive.today/20230801132037/https://www.bilan.ch/opinions/etienne-dumont/pully_le_musee_d_art_presente_des_affiches_de_la_cinematheque_suisse . 1 August 2023 . 1 August 2023.
  7. News: Mandelbaum . Jacques . 4 June 2019 . Mort de Freddy Buache, ancien directeur de la Cinémathèque Suisse . Death of Freddy Buache, former director of the Swiss Cinematheque . live . fr . . https://archive.today/20230730150156/https://www.lemonde.fr/culture/article/2019/06/04/freddy-buache-ancien-directeur-de-la-cinematheque-suisse-est-mort_5471331_3246.html . 30 July 2023 . 1 August 2023 . subscription.
  8. News: 27 August 2019 . Les archives de la Cinémathèque se dévoilent . The archives of the Cinematheque are unveiled . live . fr . . . https://archive.today/20230802152228/https://www.tdg.ch/les-archives-de-la-cinematheque-se-devoilent-419787852571 . 2 August 2023 . 2 August 2023.
  9. News: 22 September 2022 . Ouverture exceptionnelle de la Cinémathèque suisse à Penthaz . Exceptional opening of the Swiss Cinematheque at Penthaz . live . fr . . . https://archive.today/20230730151842/https://www.rts.ch/info/culture/cinema/13403334-ouverture-exceptionnelle-de-la-cinematheque-suisse-a-penthaz.html . 30 July 2023 . 30 July 2023.
  10. News: Salvadé . Christine . 22 September 2007 . Cinémathèque: L'heure des choix . Cinematheque: Time to choose . live . fr . . https://archive.today/20230730155835/https://www.letemps.ch/culture/cinematheque-lheure-choix . 30 July 2023 . 20 January 2024.
  11. News: Rocchi . Ludovic . 28 April 2015 . La Confédération resserre son étau sur la Cinémathèque suisse . The Confederation tightens its grip on the Swiss Cinematheque . live . fr . . https://web.archive.org/web/20230731221409/https://www.rts.ch/info/culture/6738919-la-confederation-resserre-son-etau-sur-la-cinematheque-suisse.html . 31 July 2023 . 31 July 2023.
  12. News: Danesi . Marco . 8 December 2007 . La Cinémathèque cachée sous terre . The Cinematheque hidden underground . live . fr . . https://archive.today/20230731222337/https://www.letemps.ch/culture/cinematheque-cachee-terre . 31 July 2023 . 31 July 2023.
  13. News: 21 January 2008 . Cinémathèque: un successeur à Hervé Dumont . Cinematheque: a successor to Hervé Dumont . live . fr . . . https://archive.today/20230730135406/https://www.rts.ch/info/culture/1152997-cinematheque-un-successeur-a-herve-dumont.html . 30 July 2023 . 30 July 2023.
  14. News: Duplan . Antoine . 3 February 2021 . Hervé Dumont, gentleman cinéphile et 'Diderot du Léman' . Hervé Dumont, gentleman cinephile and 'Diderot du Léman' . live . fr . . https://archive.today/20230730135853/https://www.letemps.ch/culture/ecrans/herve-dumont-gentleman-cinephile-diderot-leman . 30 July 2023 . 30 July 2023.
  15. News: Salvadé . Christine . 22 January 2008 . La valse-hésitation d'un directeur . The waltz-hesitation of a director . live . fr . . https://archive.today/20230730140934/https://www.letemps.ch/culture/valsehesitation-dun-directeur . 30 July 2023 . 30 July 2023.
  16. News: Duplan . Antoine . 6 September 2019 . Frédéric Maire: 'Dans une cinémathèque, on réfléchit en années plutôt qu'en mois' . Frédéric Maire: 'In a cinematheque, we think in years rather than months' . live . fr . . https://archive.today/20230730143834/https://www.letemps.ch/culture/ecrans/frederic-maire-une-cinematheque-on-reflechit-annees-plutot-quen-mois . 30 July 2023 . 30 July 2023.
  17. News: 9 March 2016 . Jean Studer présidera la Cinémathèque suisse . Jean Studer will chair the Swiss Cinematheque . live . fr . . https://archive.today/20230731193713/https://www.tdg.ch/jean-studer-presidera-la-cinematheque-suisse-879490934437 . 31 July 2023 . 31 July 2023.
  18. News: Senff . Boris . 30 May 2009 . La lettre à Freddy de Jean-Luc Godard . Letter to Freddy by Jean-Luc Godard . live . fr . . https://archive.today/20230801150037/https://www.tdg.ch/la-lettre-a-freddy-de-jean-luc-godard-583754843232 . 1 August 2023 . 1 August 2023.
  19. News: 20 November 2022 . Le cinéaste Jean-Marie Straub est mort . Filmmaker Jean-Marie Straub is dead . live . fr . . . https://archive.today/20230801150405/https://www.lefigaro.fr/culture/le-cineaste-jean-marie-straub-est-mort-20221120 . 1 August 2023 . 1 August 2023.
  20. News: 10 September 2019 . Suisse: la Cinémathèque s'offre un nouveau centre de recherche et d'archivage . Switzerland: the Cinematheque has a new research and archiving centre . live . fr . . https://archive.today/20230730163024/https://www.estrepublicain.fr/edition-haut-doubs/2019/09/10/suisse-la-cinematheque-s-offre-un-nouveau-centre-de-recherche-et-d-archivage . 30 July 2023 . 30 July 2023.
  21. News: 31 May 2019 . 'Ame de la Cinémathèque suisse', Freddy Buache est décédé à l'âge de 94 ans . 'Soul of the Swiss Cinematheque', Freddy Buache died at the age of 94 . live . fr . . . https://archive.today/20230802112538/https://www.rts.ch/info/culture/cinema/10472297-ame-de-la-cinematheque-suisse-freddy-buache-est-decede-a-lage-de-94-ans.html . 2 August 2023 . 2 August 2023.

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