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Important film archive opens to
public
01.04.09
A FILM archive of
materials such as news reels and footage from the
North West including Inishowen has just been
unveiled at the Harbour Museum in Derry.
The North West Digital Film Archive created by Derry
City Council's Heritage and Museum Service in
association with the Donegal Regional Cultural
Centre, Donegal County Museum and the Nerve Centre,
is now open to the public. The archive provides free
public access to nearly 100 hours of searchable
material. National broadcasters such as the BBC and
RTE donated materials however, highlights include
material from local filmmakers including the late
James Canavan of Moville, Terence McDonald and John
Grant who "tenderly documented so much of the social
and cultural life of the North West region over the
past 50 years".
Local film companies such as Westway Films,
Northland Films and Besom Productions join other
contributors included The Irish Film Archive in
Dublin, who have all donated many hours of
captivating material from their collections free of
charge. Directors represented include Margo Harkin,
Desmond Bell, Tom Collins, Anne Crilly and Vinny
Cunningham. |
Bernadette Walsh of the
Heritage and Museum Service explained: "The
collection also includes local amateur material,
much of which is previously unseen to any large
audience. Highlights of the archive include films
from local filmmakers including Terence McDonald,
James Canavan, and John Grant who tenderly
documented so much of the social and cultural life
of the North West region over the past fifty years.
"One of the major objectives of the project was to
make the collection freely available to the general
public. |
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The underlying ethos
behind the archive was that it should not be a
heritage project alone but also an educational one,
concerned with the application and usage of the
archive, not just a static resource. The development
of the digital archive of life in Derry and Donegal
in the twentieth century is the final product of the
project." Bookings to see the archive should be made
through 048 71377331 or
bernadette.walsh@derrycity.gov.uk . The Harbour
Museum, located beside the Guildhall in Derry, is
open to the public Monday to Friday from 10am -1pm
and 2pm - 4.30pm. |
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