The means and terminology of photochemical film preservation, duplication, and restoration are generally well documented and understood. This is why the ethics of film restoration matter. This is why it is critical to define red lines and hard borders if we are to discuss the ethics of restoration. They will only know the version of the film that has been made accessible in its new digital incarnation. Non-specialised audiences cannot be expected to understand the difference between categorisations such as “restoration” and “derivative work”. Every decision taken during the analogue-to-digital transformation, whether it is documented or not, will endure as perhaps the only accessible version of the film. It is our responsibility to not only preserve the “content” of a film but also to preserve its nature. As our analogue materials migrate into the digital realm, it becomes increasingly likely that these digital versions are the only ones that future generations will know. While archives are the caretakers of the past, they also shape the future.

That would be an invalid – and unethical – interpretation. It could be said that the simple act of digitising an analogue film produces a new and different object, thereby providing licence (or an excuse) to “modernise” its appearance or rationalise variance from the original. MAINTAINING AUTHENTICITY AND THE ANALOGUE TO DIGITAL TRANSFORMATIONĭigitisation of photochemical film transforms motion picture material from physical incarnation into a software-encoded approximation. This section concludes with an appendix detailing the ethical and pragmatic guidelines and rules – and the red lines – for digital film restoration projects. Improperly or carelessly applied digital tools afford the means to distort, reinterpret, and misrepresent the aesthetics – and content – of the cultural and historical materials that archives and other collecting institutions are duty-bound to preserve. Unfortunately, these same powerful tools provide the ability to obliterate the character and integrity of the original film and to erase any vestige of aesthetic or historical veracity. Powerful tools provide film restorers with the ability to identify and thoughtfully remediate damage and deterioration suffered by the original material and to return the appearance of a film to a state closer to what it would have been when it was first created. Not only can film materials now be digitally duplicated and edited, but it is also a simple matter to manipulate the image content within individual frames.

Many limitations of photochemical restoration vanished with the advent of digital imaging and digital manipulation technology. The usual culmination of photochemical film restoration project was a new film negative and new film positives created from that negative.

For all practical purposes it was not possible to manipulate the pictorial elements within individual frames. If new elements, such as titles, had to be recreated, they were photographed, printed, and physically inserted into the new negative or print. Colour could also be adjusted through grading (timing), and the Desmet Method could be used to approximate the tints and tones of silent- era films. Film materials could be physically cleaned to remove dirt, and the appearance of scratches could be reduced through the use of wet-gate duplication. Prior to the development of digital image technology, the toolset available to film restorers was generally limited to what could be achieved through photochemical means. Digital technology is constantly evolving and, while certain aspects of this paper may eventually become obsolete, the foundational philosophy and principles of ethical film restoration should remain unchanged. For this reason, the reader is encouraged to focus more on the principles and less on specific technical details. The discussion is illustrated with a variety of typical cases, but the authors recognise that all projects are unique and that no single document can comprehensively address all the challenges or circumstances presented by any given project. This section of the Digital Statement describes the ethical principle and general guidelines related to motion picture restoration. The authors would like to thank Jeanne Pommeau and Julia Wallmüller along with the FIAF Technical Commission members for their valuable insights and suggestions. By Robert Byrne, Caroline Fournier, Anne Gant, and Ulrich Ruedel

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