The Academy also called for consultations with the Center and the public.
The Ukrainian Film Academy published a statement calling for the withdrawal order of State Cinema on the reorganization of Dovzhenko Center. The Academy also called for consultations with the Center and the public regarding its further activities. The corresponding statement was published on the Facebook page of the Ukrainian Film Academy.
On August 17, it became known about the order of the State Cinema regarding the reorganization of the Dovzhenko Center. The Academy noted that he caused outrage among the Ukrainian cinematographic community and concerned citizens. A petition was even registered with the demand to cancel the reorganization of the Dovzhenko Center.
“According to the order of the State Cinema, all films from the collection and property of the Dovzhenko Center must be transferred to the State Institution “Scientific Center of Cinematography of Ukraine.” In its statement, the State Film Agency of Ukraine emphasizes that the order does not envisage the liquidation of the Oleksandr Dovzhenko National Center, only its reorganization. In particular, “by separating and transferring the authority to archive sets of source materials of films, source materials of films created in whole or in part at the expense of the State Budget of Ukraine, as well as film copies of films created in Ukraine at the expense of legal entities of private ownership and natural persons, to the state institution “Scientific Center of Cinematography of Ukraine”.
However, since its creation in 2011, this organization has not carried out any activities related to the preservation of the national film archive. In this way, the de facto national film heritage is transferred to a non-specialist organization without appropriate competences and full-time specialists. This entails the risk of liquidation of the Ukrainian film archive as such. In addition, the transfer of powers to non-core organizations is a harmful practice for the industry as a whole and a big blow to the image of Ukrainian culture, in particular at the international level,” the Ukrainian Film Academy said in a statement.
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About the reorganization order Dovzhenko Center became aware of it on August 17. The Center itself believes that this order de facto means its liquidation. Derzhkino, on the other hand, states that it is about reorganization, not liquidation, that there is no question of the dismissal of the Center's employees. According to the labor legislation, they should be offered similar positions in the new structure. People will be able to decide for themselves whether to continue working or transfer to another organization.
