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In this series of interviews, we highlight the diversity of work being done behind the scenes at UCLA Film & Television Archive to preserve and showcase the history of moving images.
What is your role as film preservationist? What aspect of preservation work do you enjoy most?
As a film preservationist I find it is my role to not only safeguard moving images for future generations, but also to make sure that the best, most original version is accessible. This means copying the highest-generation, most-complete elements and sometimes having to search for other less ideal elements to fill in from. My favorite part of the job is problem solving. There is nothing like the satisfaction of taking pieces from multiple different sources and fitting them back together like a puzzle into the completed film. Except maybe the joy of having an audience experience a film that has either been unseen for years or only available as an inferior copy.
What are some of the challenges of film preservation?
Most challenges come from forces beyond our control. Film preservation can be costly. Often there are projects that you would like to take to full restoration, but there is not enough funding to do anything beyond basic preservation. Sometimes all we're able to do is copy a deteriorating element before it is completely lost. And other times you realize that the only existing materials on a film are of less-than-ideal quality. No amount of money, photochemical processes, or digital tools can fix a low-resolution, many-generations down film print (though they can help!).
Jillian working with a 16mm negative print of The Murder of Fred Hampton (1971).
Could you tell us about the UCLA Festival of Preservation projects you worked on?
I am really pleased to have worked on some amazing independent productions for this UCLA Festival of Preservation. The Murder of Fred Hampton (1971) is a documentary about the slaying of the Chicago Black Panther party chairman in 1969. It’s a very interesting document of its time, but it is particularly timely with today’s political climate. It’s preceded by a short The Jungle (1967), which was shot by inner city students in Philadelphia, dramatizing their gang life. I am happy to introduce a new audience to the films of female writer-director Juleen Compton. She made this interesting pair of films in 1965 and 1966, Stranded and The Plastic Dome of Norma Jean. Their storylines are very different but they have a common thread of a woman finding her way in a man-driven world.
What’s an underrated film more people should know about?
A film that is showing in the UCLA Festival of Preservation which I think deserves another look is River of Grass (1994). It’s an early film by Kelly Reichardt, who is best known for Wendy and Lucy (2008). It’s a really quirky, understated film that is a pleasure to watch.
2017 UCLA Festival of Preservation screens March 3 - 27. See the complete schedule >
—Jennifer Rhee, Digital Content Manager
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