The Chinese Embassy to Albania has come to the rescue of 44,000 reels of film in the Central State Film Archive.
Humidity conditions in the Archive were previously putting the files at risk of destruction. The previous cooling system had been broken for 16 years. Thankfully, the Chinese Embassy donated a new cooling system that will ensure the files are preserved in optimum conditions.
Ambassador Zhou Ding visited the archive and said it was a place where precious examples of the friendship between China and Albania are kept. He said that the Embassy donated moisture control equipment and funded a project to renovate the temperature control system.
“Last year marked the 70th anniversary of diplomatic relations between China and Albania and on this occasion, many exchanges took place between the two countries, many Chinese artistic groups visited Albania and the number of Chinese tourists in Albania increased by 20 per cent but this Archive also established a collaboration with the National Film Archive of China. We expect that, after this pandemic, we will deepen the cooperation with the Ministry of Culture and all Albanian cultural institutions, to promote the flourishing of the cultures of the two countries, as well as mutual recognition between our two peoples. I am confident that the Film Archive will play a special role in this area,” he said.
Ministry of Culture Elva Margariti was also present at the ceremony. In her speech, she focused on the mission of the Central Film Archive and its perspective.
“The archive cannot be a film warehouse, the archive should be a museum, a space for dialogue, it should be a space for children, a space of pride for all of us,”
