“They Live Again:”Archiving Hadassah Films

Hazel Greenwald, Founder and 1st Chairman of the Hadassah Film Department.

“What’s New At Hadassah:”An Assessment of Hadassah’s Film Collection

•General Assessment–Basic Background

–Format Migration

–Archival Copies

–Toward A Mission Statement

•The Beginning: Hazel Greenwald

•Film Production At Hadassah

–Awards and Distinctions

•Promotion and Distribution

•Archiving and Preservation

•Specs and Film Logistics

•Assessment and Suggestions

Hadassah Films Montage

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General Assessment

• Background• Format Migration• Archival Copies• Toward a Mission Statement

Background

• 1942 – 1986 Film Production• Film -> Video -> DVD• Kodachrome, Ektachrome, Acetate, Polyester• Wide & varied distribution (Film Rentals)• Fundraising and Promotional Use• Early Archival Efforts (Library of Congress, Spielberg, Onsite,

Projects)

Format Migration & Archival CopiesFormat Migration

Film to 3/4" Transfer Seven 3/4" TransfersHave gone missing

1980s112 Unique Films

1942 – 1986

Video to DVD Transfer187 Videos

to63 DVDs

1990s187 Videos1942 –1993

Copies of films sent to LoC, Spielberg Archive, Project Locations in Israel, Jerusalem Cinematheque, Regions and Chapters

Toward A Mission StatementToward A Mission Statement“Hadassah has a film department whose major purpose is either to shoot our own films or arrange for a film to be made around a subject of paramount importance for us. We then distribute the film among our groups in the country with the purpose of stimulating greater fundraising.”

– Letter from Dr. Miriam K. Freund, National Education

Chairman. June 1, 1972.

Hadassah’s films’ primary purpose – speaking to Hadassah’s membership and stimulating both financial and activism contributions from members and potential members.

“Hadassah has a film department whose major purpose is either to shoot our own films or arrange for a film to be made around a subject of paramount importance for us. We then distribute the film among our groups in the country with the purpose of stimulating greater fundraising.”

– Letter from Dr. Miriam K. Freund, National Education

Chairman. June 1, 1972.

Hadassah’s films’ primary purpose – speaking to Hadassah’s membership and stimulating both financial and activism contributions from members and potential members.

•The Beginning: Hazel Greenwald

•Film Production At Hadassah

–Awards and Distinctions

•Promotion and Distribution

•Archiving and Preservation

David Ben Gurion1st Israeli Prime Minister

Hazel, Production, Distribution & Archiving

Hazel Greenwald“Those who know her have learned not to bat an eyelash when they see her perched on top of a ladder, leaning out of a window, or lying on the floor aiming her cameras at all sorts of likely and unlikely targets. We say “cameras” advisedly since she always travels with three – movie, black/white, and color – slung around her neck, and seems somehow to be able to use all three at one time.” - Hadassah Press Release, December 1962.

Hazel Greenwald

• Long-term member of Hadassah National Board

• 1933 Mediterranean cruise, met Henrietta Szold, got involved in rescue of Jewish children from Germany

• Annual filming visits to Israel• Attended World Zionist Congress,

Basel, Switzerland 1946.• Founded Hadassah Film Department• Founded Hadassah Archives

• By 1960, over 50,000 feet of color film

•B&w, color slides, film

•By 1960, 75 films, 250,000 b&w photos & 40,000 color slides for Hadassah

•Took photos in 29 countries

Film Production

• 1933: Film lab in the kitchen: cutting, splicing, projecting and captioning on a child’s blackboard.

• Twentieth Century Fox impromptu consultation.• 1942: July Issue of Hadassah Headlines says 1st film ready, “Health for Victory”• September 1943: “They Live Again” - Film #2.• November 1944: “Out of the Darkness,” about Hadassah• 1945: “Forgotten Children,” 1947 “Henrietta Szold,” 1948: “Adamah,” /

“Tomorrow’s A Wonderful Day.”

ProductionToday

Oren in Production

Production IIProduction II

• 1949: “Naomi Says Yes,” – color puppet membership film• 1962: Send Ektachrome• 1970s: Contracts with Filmmakers

• 1949: “Naomi Says Yes,” – color puppet membership film• 1962: Send Ektachrome• 1970s: Contracts with Filmmakers

Awards & Distinctions

• 1962: world’s largest catalogued collection of pictures of the State of Israel since its beginnings.

• “Fifty Miracle Minutes:” CINE prize, International Film Festivals - Edinburgh, Scotland & Venice Italy, recommended for International Review of Ethnographic and Sociological Films in Florence, Italy, December 10-16, 1962.

• Requests from Library of Congress for “Fifty Miracle Minutes” and “Hannah Means Grace.”

• “Dr. Loewenstein, I Presume (Mission to Africa): CINE Golden Eagle Award 1969, honorable mention Jewish Audio-Visual Board of Review, invited to Tel-Aviv III International Film Festival 1969.

Susan - Admin. For Video & Production

Film Promotion & Distribution

• International Distribution• Libraries, Community

Centers, Schools• Hadassah Film Library

(Alden Films)• Publicity Kits >>>>• 16 mm, 35 mm• TV, Commercial release,

Critics’ praise• “Hadassah Calling”

Trailer• “Get Separate

Projectors”• 1980s in house

distribution• Video to film transfers• Booking statistics

Archiving & Preservation

• 1960: Hazel takes on archiving & preservation, plus fundraising for project

• A history of Israel since it became a state

• A place to deposit films (lack of space, destruction of negatives, requests to move them out of closet at Hadassah.)

• Rad / Spielberg Archives, Jerusalem

• Central Zionist Archives, Jerusalem

• Jerusalem Cinematheque

• “Hazel Greenwald – Hadassah Collection.”

• 1987 allocation of funds for repair and renovation of Hadassah Film Library

Specs and Film Logistics

» Hadassah Headlines’ tips for film maintenance.» 1948: Use sound projectors, professional projectionist, fix torn films. 16mm

versus 35mm.» 1949: catastrophes. Examine, repair & clean film. Use for stated number of

showings only. Use qualified operator & projector. Return films on time. Use 35mm for large audiences.

» 1950: Regions & large chapters – train members to project films, buy your own machine. Film strips versus film.

» Hadassah Headlines’ tips for film maintenance.» 1948: Use sound projectors, professional projectionist, fix torn films. 16mm

versus 35mm.» 1949: catastrophes. Examine, repair & clean film. Use for stated number of

showings only. Use qualified operator & projector. Return films on time. Use 35mm for large audiences.

» 1950: Regions & large chapters – train members to project films, buy your own machine. Film strips versus film.

Me cataloging. The Database

Assessment & SuggestionsAssessment & SuggestionsFilms Merit Preservation:

Content, Use, Awards & Recognition

Repositories:

Hadassah, Alden Films, CZA, Cinematheque, Rad/Spielberg. LOC, Off site, Affiliates

Advice: locate films at other archives & determine conditions.

Advice: coordinate list of holdings with Spielberg holdings.

Advice: Assess status of other media – Videos, 3/4”, DVDs. Think about transfer to digital media / hard drive.

Advice: Film Care – examine films on rewind, clean them, replace housing if needed, rewind films when needed, test for vinegar syndrome, monitor humidity, consider cold storage.

Assessment: preservation and archiving efforts have been on going. Films mostly in good to fair condition

Advice: coordinate lists of films in various media, check lists against actual holdings. Think about re-transferring lost 3/4” films when possible (to DVD or digital media).