Armenia's Deputy Minister of Culture and the head of their public television network were part of a group that met with UCLA specialists in film preservation April 2.
By Gohar Grigorian
UCLA--A delegation of 6 members from Armenia visited UCLA on April 2 as part of a 21-day program entitled "Film Preservation in the U.S.," sponsored by the United States Department of State. The group was headed by the Deputy Minister of Culture, Youth Affairs, and Sports of the Repubic of Armenia, Mr. Karen Aristakesyan. Other members of the delegation included the Director of Armenia's Public Television, Deputy Director of the National Film Archives, and the Head of the Museums and Libraries Section of the Ministry of Culture. The group was welcomed by History Ph.D. student and IVB assistant Harout Semerdjian.
The delegation met with Mr. James Williamson, Manager of the Archive Resources and Study Center of the UCLA Film and Television Archive, and Mr. Steven Ricci, Head of Research & Study and New Technology Coordinator of the Film and Television Archive. Ricci is also Secretary General of the International Federation of Film Archives.
During their brief yet informative visit to UCLA, the delegation was introduced to the film and television archives. They learned how films here are preserved, restored, and stored, and observed the technical processes and equipment used in specialized film archiving and preservation. The group also gained understanding of the process of securing funding for film preservation projects.
Members of the delegation were impressed with UCLA and its film and television archives, and were immensely pleased with their meetings with James Williamson and Steven Ricci. They suggested establishing links between UCLA and Armenian film preservation experts.