ENGLISH VERSION

 - this area is under construction -

WHO WE ARE

The Audiovisual Archive of the Democratic and Labour Movement was established in 1979 and became a Foundation in 1985. Its purpose is to safeguard and enhance the value of audiovisual and photographic documents relevant to its field. Our film and photography collection concerns contemporary history and society, mainly since the end of World War II. We collaborate with the Italian and foreign institutions and private organizations, initiating and conducting projects at the national and European levels. We collect, preserve and disseminate films, from those made by the historic directors of Italian documentaries to those produced by the youngest generation of filmmakers. The Archive conducts studies and research on technically reproducible images, positioning itself as hub among the academic world of cinema, history and social studies, the archive community and the production community (screen writers, directors, photographers and producers).

WHAT WE HAVE

Our film collection includes documentaries, stock footage and documentation (footage of actual events), mainly dating from the end of World War II to present (7000 hours’ worth, 80% on film and 20% on tape). Around 20% is available in digital format.

The photography collection includes 300,000 pictures, partly digitized with high or low resolution and consultable online. Our audiovisual and photographic documents concern labour and the labour movement, Italian political parties and society, eastern Europe during the Cold War decades, political movements and events in Asia and Latin America, the political history of African countries, the end of colonial power and the history of liberation movements, the history of women, and the social, civil and political battles of the 20^th century. Our sound documents (2000 hours’ worth, ¼” tapes, tracks and digital supports) record debates, investigations, interviews, speeches, conferences and seminars, lectures and music from the end of World War II to the present. In addition, we have a collection of paper documents regarding the activities of filmmakers and production companies.

HOW WE WORK

The Foundation’s chief activities can be summed up as follows: cataloguing the audiovisual and photographic collections and posting them on the internet according to international archival standards via up-to-date information technologies; design and implementation of databases, web portals and multimedia products. Organizing conferences on issues in the treatment of audiovisual collections, on audiovisual languages, on the use of new sources for historical research, on the relationship between film documentation and events, etc. Producing and co-producing documentary films based wholly or partly on archival materials; creation and collaboration on television programs dealing with contemporary history. Implementing regional, national and European projects aimed at enabling access to and use of the contest of image collections. Collaborating with film libraries, cultural institutes, universities and associations to organize cultural products and events related to the cinema, photography, history and contemporary society. Organizing training courses and seminars (for documentaries, archivists and filmmakers). Publishing (research, studies, monographs, investigations, conference proceedings, etc.).

OUR REFERENTS

Ministero per i Beni e le Attività Culturali, Regione Lazio, Provincia di Roma, Comune di Roma, Confederazione Generale per il Lavoro, Fondazione Monte dei Paschi di Siena.

OUR PARTNERS

Associazione Nazionale Archivistica Italiana

Centro Sperimentale di Cinematografia

Cineteca Nazionale

Cgil

Cineteca di Bologna

Cineteca del Friuli

Cineteca Italiana

Cineteca Lucana

Istituto Centrale per i Beni Sonori ed Audiovisivi

Fox International

Istituto Gramsci

Istituto Luce

Istituto per la Storia del Risorgimento Italiano

Multimediarchitecture

Museo del Cinema di Torino

Rai

Università di Roma “La Sapienza”

Università di Roma “Tor Vergata”

Università Roma Tre

Università di Torino

Università della Tuscia