Baghdad, Iraq- Iraq has taken a major step toward preserving its rich cinematic history with the launch of the Cinémathèque Iraq project. This national initiative aims to digitize, restore, and protect the country’s valuable film archives, ensuring that Iraq’s film legacy is safeguarded for future generations.
The project was officially introduced at an event held at the French Institute in Baghdad, attended by Iraqi filmmakers, artists, and cultural figures. It is being developed under the supervision of the Iraqi Visual Memory Committee within the Prime Minister’s Office and in collaboration with the French Embassy in Iraq.
The initiative’s goal is to revive Iraq’s film industry and make its historical cinematic works accessible to future audiences. Warith Kweish, the project director, highlighted the significance of the initiative, noting that Cinémathèque Iraq will restore over 100 Iraqi films while training local experts in film archiving and preservation. Additionally, the project will establish specialized infrastructure for film storage and restoration in Iraq, employing advanced digitization techniques to ensure the preservation of the nation’s visual history.
