CriterionCast

Jonas Mekas Is On A Conversion Kick

Something I have learned over the past couple of years, is that any and all age groups have their cinephiles, and honestly, the older the generation, the more passionate they are about film.

Proof of this statement, an 85-year-old man, Jonas Mekas, is currently working on a rather massive project, of converting his stock of 70,000 rare indies and classics from film to digital. The collection includes some one-of-a-kind pieces, as well as rare prints of the very first motion pictures ever filmed.

Mekas isn’t just a film fan however. The man has been known as the ‘godfather of independent film,’ and has even worked next to Salvador Dali directing films. The collection is one of the largest in the world, and has the goal of putting the entire collection online, where viewers will be able to see 19th-century films by Thomas Edison or an experimental Andy Warhol film, called Chelsea Girls.

Currently, Mekas needs $200,000 to buy a digital transfer machine, allowing for his collection to make the jump to digital. I can’t help but hope that he does get meet his goal. The collection sounds amazing, and would be an absolute wonder to have access to. These are not only important films in the history of cinema, but they are also ones that are nearly impossible to see. Being able to get access to this collection is not only something great for any cinephile, but anyone with any sort of interest in film. If anything, this story proves that love of film doesn’t age. Someone at the age of 85 can still have as vibrant of passion for film as someone 60 years their junior. Film is a beautiful thing.

Source: NY Daily News

Joshua Brunsting

Josh is a critic, a member of the Online Film Critics Society, a wrestling nerd, a hip-hop head, a father, a cinephile and a man looking to make his stamp on the world, one word at a time.