[spectre] Uncertain Future of Slovenska kinoteka - Urgent Call For Support [u]

[Geert Lovink [c]]

From: Jurij Meden <jurij.meden at isolacinema.org>

> dear international friends and collegues,
> due to the recent grim developments in slovenska kinoteka
> (slovenian cinematheque) in ljubljana, i'm hereby sending
> you a call for support, which was already yesterday sent
> to all the FIAF members, but we believe it's important to
> receive support from the widest international cinephile
> community. i kindly urge you to read it and react
> appropriately a.s.a.p., as our time is - sadly enough -
> running out rapidly.
> thank you very much in advance,
> warmest regards,
> jurij meden
> (for kinoteka)
>
> +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
> It was with great sorrow that, on April 22nd of this year, we informed 
> you about
> the tragic death of the founder and first director of Slovenska 
> kinoteka, Silvan
> Furlan.
> It was particularly sad that Silvan didn't live to see some of his 
> biggest
> achievements becoming a reality: such as co-organising and hosting the 
> FIAF
> World Congress and making its 61st edition a success; or such as the 
> renovation
> of Cinematheque hall. With the promises made by the political 
> authorities on the
> occasion of the centenary of Slovene film and of the opening of the 
> FIAF
> Congress; with the Kinoteka renovation works in full swing, it looked 
> for a
> while like the preservation and presentation of the international 
> film-heritage
> in Slovenia had become an integral, solid part of Slovene cultural 
> policy. It
> looked like Silvan Furlan's legacy would live on.
>
> As a public institution the appointment of Kinoteka's director is the 
> authority
> and responsibility of the Minister of Culture. After a first formal 
> procedure
> (including a public call and a hearing) the Ministry short-listed two
> candidates for their final selection-round.
> Although one of the two candidates, Mr. Stojan Pelko, is an undisputed 
> authority
> in our field of expertise and although it was
> crystal-clear to anyone committed to film-heritage that he would be a 
> perfect
> successor to Silvan Furlan, the Minister of Culture proposed to 
> appoint the
> other candidate, Mr. Ravter.
> Mr. Ravter --a theatre dramaturgist by education-- is not only a 
> complete
> unknown in the field of cinematography, his application for the post of
> director gives ample evidence of him being completely ignorant about 
> Kinoteka's
> work in particular, and about the field of the preservation and 
> presentation of
> the international film-heritage in general.
> By way of illustration we could mention that in his application and his
> 2005-2010 programme-policy plan, the International Federation of Film 
> Archives
> or the FIAF World Congress are not even mentioned. The only 
> international
> dimension Ravter mentions in his five-year plan is "to use all forces 
> to
> re-establish contacts with the Yugoslav Cinematheque" (sic!). Another 
> one of
> the --to call it euphemistically-- "blunders" is that he even fails to 
> mention
> Kinoteka's archive department. The only acquisition-policy of 
> international
> film-heritage he explicitly mentions in his five-year plan is that "it 
> is time
> that Kinoteka starts systematically creating a film-collection on other
> supports (most of all on DVD), for which not a lot of financial 
> resources would
> be needed, and of which already a great number of masterpieces are 
> currently
> available." He adds: "The costs would easily be recouped by a policy 
> of lending
> out these DVD's". Not to mention that Mr. Ravter doesn't talk about 
> the Kinoteka
> library, etc. etc.
>
> It is obvious that both Kinoteka's Board of directors, as well as the 
> entire
> Kinoteka staff, gave an explicitly negative advice to the Minister 
> about the
> candidature of Mr. Ravter.
> Nonetheless the response from the Ministry of Culture (as stated by 
> their PR
> officer, as well as by the head of the appointing commission; since the
> Minister himself hasn't made any public statements yet!) is that it 
> intends to
> proceed with the appointment.
>
> We expect that in one of the next governmental meetings the government 
> will
> confirm this appointment.  Therefore we ask you to join our protest by 
> signing
> the statement below and/or send your letters of support. Since this 
> appointment
> might take place this Thursday, we ask for your immediate response.
>
> Feel free to forward this message to any colleague who might support 
> our cause
> as well.
>
> Thanking you in advance for your attention, and hoping for a swift and 
> positive
> reply.
>
> The Slovenska kinoteka Staff
> 12. September 2005.
>
> +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
> PLEASE SEND THIS MESSAGE TO:
> jurij.meden at isolacinema.org and to kinoteka at kinoteka.si
> On Wednesday, September 14th we will forward your signatures and 
> responses in an
> open letter to Minister of Culture.
> +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
>
> URGENT APPEAL
> To the Minister of Culture
> Mr. Vasko Simoniti
>
>
> Dear Mr. Simoniti,
>
> As part of the international film heritage community we are 
> particularly
> concerned about your intended appointment of Mr. Ravter as the next 
> director of
> Slovenska kinoteka.
>
> An institution that is bound to uphold the FIAF code of ethics for film
> preservation, as well as to promote film culture and facilitate 
> historical
> research on both a national and international level can only be lead 
> by a
> candidate who is not only fully aware of the issues at stake, but is 
> also
> deeply committed to the presentation and preservation of the 
> international film
> heritage.
> Based on his application, we can confirm that Mr. Ravter is not a 
> credible
> candidate to us.
>
> Therefore we urge you to reconsider all arguments given to you by the 
> Kinoteka
> staff, and we urge you not to proceed with the appointment of Mr. 
> Ravter.
>
> Name, Title, Institution, City