Asian Film Archive New!

The is more than a library. It is a monument to the idea that the laughter, tears, and chaos of Asian life in the 20th century deserve to survive the 21st.

The AFA engages in a wide range of preservation and outreach activities: asian film archive

: The archive is home to the Cathay-Keris Malay Classics Collection , which is part of the UNESCO Memory of the World Asia-Pacific Register . The is more than a library

As a film enthusiast, I had always been fascinated by the rich cinematic heritage of Asia. From the poetic realism of Iranian cinema to the bold experimentation of Japanese new wave, there was so much to explore. But where to start? That's when I stumbled upon the Asian Film Archive (AFA), a treasure trove of films that showcased the best of Asian cinema. As a film enthusiast, I had always been

As we look forward, three trends define the Asian film archive:

However, digital preservation is not a magic bullet.

Before praising what is saved, one must acknowledge the abyss. Experts estimate that over 80% of Asian silent films are lost forever. The reasons are specific to the region: the nitrate stock of early Thai and Filipino cinema decomposed in humid warehouses; the Japanese occupation led to the systematic destruction of propaganda and pre-war reels; the Khmer Rouge erased nearly 90% of Cambodia’s cinematic output. The AFA was founded in 2005 precisely to halt this hemorrhage. Its deep value lies not in its Hollywood partnerships, but in its obsession with the —the newsreel forgotten in a Jakarta attic, the Cantonese opera film left to rot in a Kuala Lumpur shophouse.