Skip to content

Money: the biggest threat to our cultural heritage

Update: According to the Filmkrant, it's not all that bad: http://www.filmkrant.nl/nieuws_2013/9842

It was announced today that a large archive containing almost all raw film material from the Netherlands in the shredder threatens to disappear. Since film laboratory Cineco is bankrupt due to the vanished demand for oldskool celluloid, the vault containing unique historical material must also go. Unless someone comes forward who wants to store the material. And that costs quite a bit of money. Even though we no longer work with the highly flammable nitrate films, all that plastic must be kept safe.

Thus, yet another unique heritage collection is in danger of disappearing due to lack of funds. Were previously the collections of the Theatre Institute of the Netherlands saved from the chipper by the University of Amsterdam, the Collection of the Netherlands Radio Music Centre is still not safe, as megalomaniac plans for a new complex in The Hague have been shelved. Again, because there is no money, or money is misspent.

Thanks to the thriftiness of Dutch broadcasting, we have already lost a lot of unique material from our television history, such as most of 'Hamelin' and 'Ja Zuster Nee Zuster'. The question is whether the cabinet now wants to throw away our film history too.

one of our members

Members of Culture Press co-own our cooperative for a small monthly or annual fee, and may also contribute content to the site when appropriate. For members with an institutional membership, we offer the possibility of posting their press releases unabridged. Also want to become a member? You can. Please visit this pageView Author posts

Small Membership
175 / 12 Months
Especially for organisations with a turnover or grant of less than 250,000 per year.
No annoying banners
A premium newsletter
5 trial newsletter subscriptions
All our podcasts
Have your say on our policies
Insight into finances
Exclusive archives
Posting press releases yourself
Own mastodon account on our instance
Cultural Membership
360 / Year
For cultural organisations
No annoying banners
A premium newsletter
10 trial newsletter subscriptions
All our podcasts
Participate
Insight into finances
Exclusive archives
Posting press releases yourself
Own mastodon account on our instance
Collaboration
Private Membership
50 / Year
For natural persons and self-employed persons.
No annoying banners
A premium newsletter
All our podcasts
Have your say on our policies
Insight into finances
Exclusive archives
Own mastodon account on our instance
en_GBEnglish (UK)