The cooperation between Madagascar and Italy is taking on a new dimension focused on the safeguarding, restoration, and digitization of Malagasy cinematic and audiovisual heritage.
Preserving images of the past to better transmit collective memory is the core issue around which Madagascar intends to strengthen its cultural cooperation with Italy. A Malagasy delegation led by the Minister of Communication and Culture, Gascar Fenosoa, carried out an official mission to Bologna at the invitation of the Fondazione Cineteca di Bologna. This meeting aims to consolidate and expand exchanges between the two countries in the fields of cinema, communication, and the preservation of audiovisual heritage.
Discussions with the Cineteca di Bologna and its specialized laboratory, L’Immagine Ritrovata, focused on several priority areas: archive conservation, digitization, film restoration, equipment strengthening, and the training of Malagasy professionals. These exchanges are part of an effort to safeguard and promote the audiovisual collections held at the Andohibe Auditorium. The goal is to identify and organize existing archives, improve their conservation conditions, and eventually facilitate public access. Images and films documenting the country’s history will thus be better preserved and passed on to future generations.
This mission also aligns with the authorities’ desire to place national history and collective memory at the heart of cultural priorities. For Minister Gascar Fenosoa, “Knowledge of history and the protection of the traces that document it are essential levers for consolidating Malagasy identity and preparing for the country’s future.” His vision links heritage preservation with education, creation, and the development of cinema, relying on dialogue with professionals, the strengthening of local skills, and the establishment of partnerships with clearly defined objectives to produce concrete benefits for the population.
Several officials from the Cineteca di Bologna participated in the exchanges, including Director Gian Luca Farinelli, Deputy Director Davide Pietrantoni, laboratory heads Davide Pozzi and Elena Tammaccaro, and Cecilia Cenciarelli, who is in charge of film restoration projects for the African Film Heritage Project.
Beyond technical and cultural perspectives, this initiative builds on a long-standing relationship between the two countries. Madagascar and Italy have maintained economic and technical cooperation ties since the signing of an agreement on July 1, 1964. This new dynamic aims to give additional scope to these relations by making audiovisual heritage a priority area for collaboration.
Captured & Published at: 2026-10-31 06:09:12 (Madagascar Local Time EAT)
Original Source: https://www.lexpress.mg/2026/10/patrimoine-audiovisuel-madagascar.html