Who Will Preserve Cinema’s Masterpieces?
The Vanishing of Cinema’s Greatest Works
Every great art form has its gatekeepers—museums for paintings, libraries for literature. But what about cinema?
Where do Tarkovsky’s original negatives belong? Who ensures Béla Tarr’s films are still viewable in 50 years?
In an era where streaming platforms prioritize viewership over artistic value, entire film legacies are disappearing. Once removed from a catalog, a film can effectively vanish from public access.
Even so-called “film preservation efforts” are often dictated by commercial viability—not artistic merit.
If a film doesn’t make money, it risks being lost forever.
Archives Are Not Enough
Yes, institutions like the Criterion Collection, Cineteca di Bologna, and MOMA’s Film Archive do vital work. But their funding depends on how much “value” a film has in the mainstream.
There is no truly independent, artist-led archive for the preservation of cinema as high art.
Contrast this with the art world—where billionaires and museums aggressively preserve paintings, sculptures, and rare manuscripts. The best works don’t disappear. They are protected because collectors and scholars recognize their importance.
Where is this patronage for cinema?
The Streaming Illusion
Many cinephiles assume that platforms like Netflix, MUBI, and The Criterion Channel will safeguard cinema’s history.
But:
- Streaming licenses expire—when that happens, the films vanish.
- Curated selections change based on audience demand, not historical importance.
- Filmmakers lose control—their works are compressed, reformatted, and sometimes altered.
Digital access is not ownership. And once a film is lost, it’s lost forever.
What happens to the forgotten films that aren’t “profitable” enough to be saved?
The Cinema Sanctum: A New Patronage Model
Just as the Renaissance had patrons to protect the great artists, cinema needs a new model.
The Cinema Sanctum is an institution that will:
- Preserve & restore artistic cinema in its purest form.
- Create a new canon, independent of industry trends.
- Ensure that masterpieces remain accessible to the right audience.
Imagine if Tarkovsky’s archives had been funded by serious collectors instead of state-run institutions. His works wouldn’t have been censored.
Imagine if Béla Tarr’s films were owned as collectible, untouchable works, rather than just digital licenses that expire.
This is the world The Cinema Sanctum envisions.
Who Will Save Cinema?
The art world already understands this model. So do collectors of rare books, fine art, and classical music.
Cinema is the only great art form that has not yet been treated with the same reverence.
The question is not whether cinema is worth preserving. The question is:
Who will take responsibility for preserving it?
Let us know what you think in the comments!