Located just outside the Harvard Film Archive cinematheque, this exhibit closely studies two 35mm prints of the same film from the HFA collection in order to explain some of the unique qualities and challenges of exhibiting and preserving photochemical film. The distinct lives of each print are revealed by comparing copies of Ozu Yasujiro's 1958 film Equinox Flower, one a former distribution print made in the early seventies and the other a newly struck print made in 2024. Placed side-by-side, a magnified segment of the same scene reveals the traces of how each print was handled, exhibited and stored over the span of its lifetime. The close study of a film print is a form of archaeological research and a means to understand material history. When a 35mm print is projected in a theater, that same history is magnified for an audience for whom each trace can be seen, or heard, ideally without distracting from the experience of the film itself. Once a print enters the archive, archivists strive to minimize wear and damage and preserve it as best as possible.
Exhibit created by HFA summer 2025 intern Maesa Ogas in collaboration with staff.