Global programme: Ministry of Cultural Heritage
Call: Notice from the Ministry of Cultural Heritage dated October 8, 2020, no. 2445, regarding the "Granting of contributions and special projects for cinema and audiovisual – art. 27 comma 1, of Law no. 220 of 2016 – year 2020"
Project number: DOM-2020-91702-PSPEC-00001
Duration: 12 Months (3/15/2021 - 3/14/2022)
Project Manager: Dario Edoardo Viganò

Summary

The project "Analysis and Enhancement of Historical Archival Documentation on Cinema and Catholics", funded by the MiBACT, includes:

• Research and analysis on Catholic documentary film production aimed at organizing a permanent tool that promotes synergy among preservation institutions and consequently enhances this specific documentary heritage at an international level;
• the creation and progressive implementation of a portal that provides immediate access and visibility to a digitized historical audiovisual heritage held by the archives that will be gradually involved, potentially hosting audiovisual documents recalled from external servers of the preservation institutions that hold the rights;
• the digitization of documentary heritage and its organization by themes and research paths;
• the creation of document records containing technical, legal, and descriptive data;
• the development of short historiographic or critical commentary sheets on various audiovisual documents in order to constitute a sort of updated online encyclopedia on this type of production;
• the organization of a national thematic conference on the topics in question, involving leading scholars in the field, the proceedings of which will be published in a high-profile editorial publication in both Italian and English.

Description

The project aims to promote research and analysis on Catholic documentary film production that leads to the organization of a permanent tool promoting synergy among preservation institutions and, as a result, the enhancement of this specific documentary heritage.

This tool is identified as the implementation of a dedicated historical documentary portal through which digitized archival documentation (audiovisual and paper-based), currently scattered and often not easily accessible because stored in various institutions (archives, film libraries, cultural institutions) that generally do not communicate with each other, will be made accessible and freely available online.

The implementation of the portal, which includes the digitization (where necessary) of documentary heritage and its organization by themes and research paths, aims to provide permanent access to the documentation not only to the scientific community but also to a wider public.

Furthermore, the project also serves as a driving force for the parallel organization of dissemination and outreach initiatives related to the recovered documentation, having a broader cultural impact. Among these, in particular, is the organization of a national thematic conference on the topics in question, involving the leading scholars in the field, the proceedings of which will be published in a high-profile editorial publication in both Italian and English.

Objectives

The objective of the project is to provide, through the dedicated portal and other scientific and dissemination initiatives, an organized system for the enhancement and permanent access to the historical documentary heritage related to documentary film production on Catholicism. A system that activates a virtuous cycle for the digitization of historical audiovisual and paper-based material and functions as a reference point for professionals and all scholars in the field, both nationally and internationally, fostering the exchange of information among researchers, the development of scientific collaborations among various interested cultural entities, and the establishment of new dissemination or promotional initiatives aimed at stimulating the attention of the scientific community and the cultural world on the topics in question.

The creation and progressive implementation of a portal that provides immediate access and visibility to a digitized historical audiovisual heritage represents the central and strategic objective of the project due to its triple value:

a contribution aimed at the preservation and enhancement of an important "audiovisual memory";

an indispensable support for scientific research and debate on the subject;

a tool for the development of specific educational models through the use of thematic materials.

The portal will therefore be an essential working tool to promote coordination among film libraries, archives, production institutions, and preservation centers of great scientific and cultural value.

UNINETTUNO Role

UNINETTUNO is the sole beneficiary of the funding granted by MiBACT and, through the staff of the International Research Center "Catholicism and Audiovisual Studies" located within the Faculty of Communication Sciences, will carry out the project implementation.