Old movies in new technology

Film production (post production), from filming to performance, is done through digital technology. In Nepal, ‘Digital Yatra’ started with the production and screening of ‘Kagbeni’ directed by Bhushan Dahal and ‘Sano Sansar’ directed by Alok Nemwang.

With these two films produced by Quest Entertainment in 2008, filmmakers say that digital technology was introduced and the production was easy, organized and professional. With the digitalisation of technology, the Film Development Board has digitized and restored old films with the aim of preserving and protecting them.

Chiranjeevi Guragai, Board’s Film Museum, Information and International Relations Officer informed that important films in celluloid technology Aama, Ke Ghar Ke Dera, Baldindo Aakash, Jeevan Rekha, Sindoor, Kumari, Manko Dam, Parivartan, Hijaaj Boli and Shantideep have been digitized and preserved.

Along with the digitization, those movies have also been subtitled in English. Along with the digitization, the reel restoration of those movies has been done by making the old as new. Restoration can be upgraded to AT K (advanced technology) or other advanced quality. We have also digitized 90 documentaries worth 15 hours produced by the government,” he said.

During the restoration, the damage such as drawn reel, holes, sticking etc. is made like new by working on every scene. It is stored after bringing it to digital technology. In the first phase, the films made with the investment of the then Royal Nepali Film Institute and Ministry of Information have been digitized. After digitization, those sixteen mm and 35 mm films are in two k and four k (modern technology) formats.

According to the board, the process of establishing a film museum has been started to bring the history of cinema to the common people in Nepal. According to the official Guragai, among the South Asian countries, Nepal is the country that successfully digitized and restored after the neighboring country India.

Official Guragai informed that after the initiative of the first board president Yadav Kharel, the concept of cleaning the reels kept in Nepal Television and archiving them in the board was introduced.

On the occasion of International Women’s Day, March 8, 2021, two digitized films Aama and Kumari were screened. Digitization and restoration work was completed on February 8, 2076 by signing an agreement on August 28, 2075 at the Prasad Lab of Shri Prasad Corporation Pvt Ltd in Chennai, India.

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