fw: Threats to the Moscow Film Museum

[claudia westermann]

Date:    Sun, 15 Dec 2002 16:45:38 -0800
From:    Robert Koehler <robertkoehler at ATTBI.COM>
Sender: Film-Philosophy Salon <FILM-PHILOSOPHY at JISCMAIL.AC.UK>

Subject: Threats to the Moscow Film Museum


I wanted to pass this alert along, care of Klaus Eder, secretary of =
FIPRESCI, to everyone in the salon. Your urgent reponse is requested, =
because this invaluable institution must not be allowed to be forcibly =
shut down.=20
The FIPRESCI alert reads as follows:
FIPRESCI informs

MOSCOW FILM MUSEUM IN DANGER

Beginning of December, electricity has been cut off the Moscow Film
Museum. The cinema theaters (300 to 500 visitors each evening), the
exhibition space and the library are out of order. This obvious
attack against the Film Museum has been caused by the company
Kinozentr, which claimed the Film Museum to sign a new contract.
According to this new contract, the Film Museum will have to give up
all its halls, and will be offered another space for a very high rent.

Naum Klejman, the director of the Film Museum, writes us:

- "that the whole building is owned by the Russion Filmmakers Union,
   which has the legal papers to prove this";

- "that the Kinozentr Company does therefore not have any rights
   to claim the space of the Film Museum";

- "that the Film Museum as a State Museum is protected by law
   against such attacks".

The Film Museum in Moscow is a prestigious stronghold of film
culture, its work has been nationally and internationally recognized.
FIPRESCI, the International Federation of Film Critics, cannot take
any threat of this important institution and asks therefore the
responsible Minister of Culture, Mr. Michail Schwidkoy, to undertake
all necessary steps to protect the Film Museum and to guarantee its
existence and further work.

The International Forum of Young Cinema at the Berlin Film Festival
joins this declaration.

Please address your sympathy to:

Naum Klejman: naum at museikino.ru
Michail Schwidkoy: mincult.givc at g23.relcom.ru

Enclosed: Letter from Ulrich Gregor, Statement of the French Union
des Journalistes de Cin=E9ma.

FIPRESCI
F=E9deration Internationale de la Presse Cin=E9matographique
Michel Ciment, President
Klaus Eder, General Secretary