A commonality of interest to promote, preserve and make accessible Singapore’s film heritage was the catalyst behind the Memorandum of Understanding signed by the National Library Board (NLB) and the Asian Film Archive (AFA) on 16 Jan 2007. A tripartite agreement between the NLB, AFA and the Singapore Film Commission (SFC) was also established to achieve the joint objective of building a collection of films by Singapore filmmakers.

At the signing ceremony, Mr Rajendra Gour was honoured for his contribution (to the film industry) of the two earliest known post-independent Singapore short films that won awards at overseas film festivals. The screening of both Sunshine Singapore (1968-1972) and A Labour of Love – The Housewife (1974) drew much interest and laughter. The familiar images of Singapore in the past were nostalgic. Mr Gour’s family, including his daughter and grandson who live in the USA, turned up in support of him.

Tapping on the unique strengths of each in this mutual undertaking, AFA’s role is to evaluate, collect, document and catalogue this collection of Made-in-Singapore films sponsored by the SFC. NLB will facilitate access to this niche collection at the library@esplanade for public consultation. Comprising culturally important films from Singapore and the region, this collaboration will also ensure that unpublished local films, as well as rare and significant Asian-centric films can now be archived, preserved and shared among the community. Film buffs can also look forward to a series of film literacy seminars, screenings and workshops organized by AFA and NLB to promote use of the collection. Budding filmmakers who look to SFC for funding welcome this new move to nurture and recognize local talents.

For preservation at its best, the National Archives of Singapore (NAS) will provide expertise in film and video preservation, with temperature and climate controlled vaults to archive the original and master copies of the films and related materials. NLB will retain two copies of the converted films in DVD or other viewable format for heritage and access.

The NLB-AFA-SFC agreement is a promising start to:

• A new collection of quality Singapore films for NLB, including unpublished films that do not come under Legal Deposit.
• Public awareness and understanding of film heritage content and its significance to Singapore and its development.
• A growing collection of notable/rare Singapore and Asian films at library@esplanade.

The Singapore filmmaking community, in particular, the young filmmakers of today, will benefit greatly from this initiative as it streamlines efforts to preserve and promote local films. It will also ensure that local film heritage, which is an integral part of Singapore’s cultural history and identity, will be protected and made available for present and future generations.

With this partnership, the National Library will add to its heritage collection a valuable and unique collection of films produced by Singaporeans that have never been made accessible to the public. These are productions that have been made since the 1960s, many of which had won accolades in local, regional and international film festivals and competitions. For the first time in local film history, these will be packaged in a format suitable for preservation and public use, making the NLB-AFA-SFC collaboration a landmark partnership on film heritage.
Contributed by Barbara Teo and Lily Chow, National Library Collection Services