World Audio Visual Day was celebrated for the first time in Sukuna Park today with the screening of old films and pictorial reviews that dated as far back as the 1940s.
Ministry of Information acting deputy secretary, Setaita Natai said the ministry was the only custodian of audio visual archive of the country.
“According to the United Nations agreement on audio visual, the programs that are filmed over a certain number of years, have to be returned to their country of origin or to where the films were shot,” Ms Natai said.
“For Fiji, the National Archives are the custodians of textual books and publications while the Film and Television Unit are custodians of audiovisual footage.”
Ms Natai revealed that this year the Film and Television Unit transferred all the audiovisual collection to the National Archives as a means of storing history in the form of various publications and footage under a single roof.
“The Film and Television Unit has over 500,000 hours of films,” she said.
Some of the films, which were screened at Sukuna Park included Queen Mother, Queen Elizabeth’s visit in 1966 and the visit of the sixth United Nations Secretary General, Boutros Boutros-Ghali.
“Footage that date from before 2002 have to be at the National Archives as required by law,” Ms Natai said.
National Archives director, Misiwaini Qereqeretabua said that having visual data was important for learning about the reality of history through reading and watching.
“The main focus of audio visual day is to educate the public through the watching of old captured films that also showcase documentary heritage that has been documented through audio visual,” he said.