The Cuban Institute of Cinematographic Art and Industry (Icaic) plans to digitize the work produced in 35 mm Juan Padron, as well as a good part of the documentary of Santiago Álvarez.
ICAIC’s Director of Development and Heritage, Francisco Cordero, declared that the institute plans to start in 2023 with “the digitization of 87 documentaries authored by Santiago Álvarez, as well as all the work filmed in 35 mm by Juan Padrón, consisting of in 64 titles”.
Lamb, quoted by cubacine From his Facebook profile, he highlighted the importance of the “necessary state of conservation” and the “conditions of the film works that must be subjected to a process of rigorous cleaning and restoration to take them to formats that allow their safeguarding.”
In the same way, he highlighted the active work of the sectors that make up the Institute’s heritage section, divided into video library, photo library, restoration, conservation, film collections and digitization.
Likewise, it noted that not only audiovisual material is conserved, but also furniture, cars, posters, plans, scripts, props, costumes, jewelry, props and other elements associated with the history and daily life of film production, some of which hold the status of heritage assets.
So far, the Latin American Icaic Newscasts and almost 20 titles of the most important works of national cinema have been digitized, according to this note, which does not offer further details of titles and authors.
Juan Padrón, creator of the character Elpidio Valdés and of the also legendary film Vampires in Havanadied at the age of 73 in March 2020. In 2008 he had deserved the National Film Award.
Santiago Álvarez, eminently a documentary filmmaker, had died in May 1998. In his memory, an international documentary festival convened by ICAIC bears his name.
