Bophana Audiovisual Resource Centre - Newsletter December - January
[Click for PDF format]The Audiovisual Resource Center was inaugurated on December 4th
under the patronage of the Cambodian Minister of Culture and Fine
Arts ad interim, Mr. Him Chhem and the French Ambassador in
Cambodia, Mr. Yvon Roé d’Albert. Over 150 people - including members of
the French and Cambodian governments, institutional, public or associated
partners of the Center and artists – gathered for the official opening of the
Center and wished it success. The French minister of Culture and
Communication gave a filmed interview for the occasion. The Center’s
research analysts were awarded a diploma by the Institut national de l’audiovisuel
(Ina, French National Audiovisual Institute), in collaboration with
other partners such as the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Centre
National de la Cinématographie (CNC, National Cinematographic Center),
the Thomson Foundation for Film and TV Heritage, and the Bophana
Audiovisual Resource Center. Tapes including preserved and digitized
Cambodian archives were also given to the Cambodian government by the
Ina and the Thomson Foundation. Despite its successful developments,
the Center has suffered greatly from the loss of one of its principal
artisans, Sabine Trannin, who passed away on November 23rd, 2006.
May this opening be above all a tribute to her and her work, her energy
and commitment to the project.
Where do we stand?
The information desk, especially designed by architect Michel Verrot, in
charge of renovating the building, the reading room with custom-designed
furniture, the sound studio and the editing room were all completed for
the Center’s opening.
Our first photography workshop took place in November with six children
from the association PSE (Pour un Sourire d’Enfant). We asked them to
photograph neighborhoods in Phnom Penh important to their everyday
life. We are now working on showing their photographs to the public.
In collaboration with the Cambodian Living Arts association (CLA), the
Bophana Center is producing a music CD to keep a record of the rich
tradition of street singers. The CD will be available as of January 2007 in
several outlets in Phnom Penh and at the Center. It will contain a 40 page
booklet evoking the everyday life and experiences of the singers.
ANZ Royal Bank has recently given the Center subsidies to complete
its audiovisual equipment. A financing proposal is being studied for the
year 2007.
INEO MEDIA SYSTEM has given the Center a Digital Beta player to
help with the digitizing work.
In terms of human resources, the team has welcomed Gérald Bastelica,
in charge of the audiovisual section; Aurélie Chenet, in charge of project
management and training and who is with us through the International
volunteering program of the French Embassy in Cambodia and French
Ministry of Foreign Affairs; and Ratana Lach, our translator. Sok Heng, in
charge of accounting and administration, has just joined Silvère Kowalski in
the logistic and administrative pole in view of taking on fully these projects
in time.
Focus – The Center and the Public
The Audiovisual Resource Center opened on December 12th
2006. It is open to the public Tuesday through Saturday,
from 2PM to 6PM.
Among activities offered, the consultation room is accessible
to those wanting to explore individually the archives through
the database. Professional researchers are available to
accompany more targeted research. Users will also be able
to take advantage of training for using the database.
In the hall is a photography exhibition assembled from four
sources – Emile Gsell (Ministry of Foreign Affairs);
Adhémard Leclère (Musée d’Alençon); Jean Boulbet
(EFEO) ; Micheline Dullin (Nausicaa Favart-Amouroux),
original eyewitnesses to Cambodia over the Centuries.
They offer portraits of women musicians in the Royal Palace
between 1866 and 1879; an indication of the diversity of
minorities on Cambodian territory (circa 1890); the construction
of the Olympic Stadium in 1963; Angkor temples and
populations that took refuge there during the American
bombings of 1970-1971.
In the near future, collective screenings in Khmer or
dubbed in Khmer will allow for a large public to discover
the archives and films collected by the Center. Some
screenings will be followed by debates. In an effort to
establish a strong link with the younger generation, the
Center will organize workshops in collaboration with
schools and universities, thus introducing the role of
images and archival footage as an essential tool that can
be used by teachers and professors as pedagogic support.
Workshops with NGOs will also support this project
through greater knowledge of the material and by identifying
archives that could be integrated to the Center’s database.
If you wish to support our efforts, do not hesitate to contact
our teams in Phnom Penh and Paris. Also, if you have or
know of existing documents (films or photos) that could be
of interest to the Cambodian public, please let us know.
In Cambodia
Aurélie Chenet
Tel : +855 (0) 92 685 301
Email : arpaa@bophana.org
www.bophana.org
In Paris
Liane Willemont
Tel : +33 (0) 6 09 56 62 52
Email :
aadac@bophana.org
Tag: Cambodia
posted by Jinja @ 4:34 PM
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