Who Gets Preserved: Women, Access, and

the Past, Present, and Future of

Film Preservation in Brazil

with Marina Cavalcanti Tedesco,
Natália de Castro and Débora Butruce​

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Marina Cavalcanti Tedesco: In Brazil, building a long-term career in film preservation is no small thing. How did you come to work in the field? And how do you think your experience has been shaped by being a woman?

Débora Butruce: I’ve been working in film preservation and related fields for over two decades. I was a student in the first film preservation course in Brazil, taught by Hernani Heffner at the Fluminense Federal University (UFF). It was a groundbreaking initiative that completely transformed my professional life. From there, I secured an internship at the Cinemateca do Museu de Arte Moderna in Rio, where I worked on the Censo Cinematográfico Brasileiro (Brazilian Film Census)—another pioneering initiative led in collaboration with the Cinemateca Brasileira.[1] To further my studies, I had to leave Brazil. I trained at the Filmoteca Española in Madrid and the British Film Institute in London. While there are now several short-term audiovisual preservation courses in Brazil, a more robust and comprehensive education in the field is still lacking.

After that, I worked at the Brazilian National Archive for a few years and later collaborated with CTAv (the Audiovisual Technical Center), providing archival consulting and project support. In 2009, I started a company to help formalize my work and provide the structure I needed to operate independently. I named it Mnemosine, after the Greek goddess of memory, as a tribute to my profession. Since then, I've been able to pursue a unique career path in Brazil, with highs and lows.

I also engage in other activities, because film preservation is a very unstable field in Brazil, with numerous setbacks. Professionals often face challenges such as inconsistent funding, institutional crises, and shifting priorities according to whichever government is in power. Many preservation efforts rely on short-term projects or grants, which makes long-term sustainability difficult. Public institutions responsible for safeguarding audiovisual heritage often face budget cuts, and private investment in the sector remains limited. These factors create an uncertain landscape, requiring those of us in the field to diversify our work. That's why, in addition to preservation, I also work in curation, cultural production, and film exhibition. Since last year, I’ve been particularly focused on coordinating digitization projects.

Historically, women have been well represented in film archives, particularly in roles focused on care, such as film inspection. This process involves closely examining reels for physical damage, shrinkage, or deterioration, ensuring they remain stable for handling and preservation. There are old photographs documenting this work that show rooms filled with women inspecting film.

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However, women have been largely absent from leadership positions, which are crucial in shaping long-term planning and institutional priorities. While this is beginning to change as the field becomes more recognized, it remains essential for women to step into these leadership roles. By doing so, we can ensure a broader range of perspectives and avoid confining women to behind-the-scenes roles, important as they may be. 

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Natália de Castro: My career path is very similar to Débora's. Many in our generation have followed a similar trajectory—those of us who studied at UFF became interested in preservation through the course that, at the time, was optional but later became a mandatory part of the curriculum. I later interned at the Cinemateca do Museu de Arte Moderna. Like Débora, I had to go abroad to continue my education, at the Cinemateca Portuguesa, the Filmoteca Española, and the Santo António de Los Baños school in Havana.

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We began as outsourced workers, providing services for the Technical Audiovisual Center (CTAv) on a temporary, project-specific basis. Instead of offering stable contracts or full-time positions, the CTAv—like many government-run institutions—relied on outsourcing: bringing in workers for specific projects without providing job security.

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Later, around 2012, a major crisis hit the Cinemateca Brasileira. The institution faced severe budget cuts and layoffs, leading to a complete shutdown of operations. This crisis was a consequence of the federal government's decision to rescind the contract with the Associação de Comunicação Educativa Roquette Pinto (ACERP), which had been managing the Cinemateca. The decision was influenced by ideological factors and a broader pattern of neglect towards cultural institutions that piqued during Bolsonaro's administration. In August 2020, the government took control of the Cinemateca, dismissing all employees and halting activities for over a year. This situation had a ripple effect on other institutions, including the CTAv, leading to the termination of our projects and leaving us unemployed. I took whatever work I could find but wasn’t able to return to preservation right away. Eventually, I passed a public service exam and became an assistant librarian at UFRJ (Federal University of Rio de Janeiro). I worked in libraries for a while until, in 2021, I was reassigned to CTAv as a government-appointed employee.

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Since then, I have been working with the CTAv film collection. Although I don’t hold a leadership position, I am the only employee with formal training in preservation. As a result, I have taken on responsibilities beyond my official role, including making key decisions about the collection. This involves setting priorities for film restoration, determining which materials require urgent conservation efforts, and guiding the team on handling and storage practices.

Débora Butruce: CTAv was very fortunate to have Natália join the team. She’s somewhat of an exception, having made her way back to film preservation after being forced to take an alternative route. Public institutions not only lack clear career pathways for film archivists, but many don’t even have designated positions for film preservation.

During my tenure at the National Archives, I encountered a significant challenge. A public service exam was announced to hire new employees—a rare event in the institution. However, the exam did not include any content related to audiovisual preservation: our area of work was not recognized as an institutional priority. This oversight was particularly frustrating for those of us who had been working in archives for several years, as it underscored the lack of career pathways in our specialized field.

We find ourselves in a kind of limbo. Film preservation is not placed on the same level as more traditional fields like archival science, museology, or library sciences, which are typically included in these public exams. At the same time, within the film industry, we’re not fully recognized as an essential part of the production processes.

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It’s long overdue for us to be fully integrated as an essential part of the audiovisual field. We urgently need concrete public policies to ensure this recognition, allowing us to build stronger institutional ties with related disciplines that already have well-established structures and professional frameworks.

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Marina Cavalcanti Tedesco: There is no long-term training in audiovisual preservation in Brazil. So, what does it mean to be an audiovisual preservation professional here? 

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Débora Butruce: Well, an education in film preservation is only truly effective when paired with hands-on experience in an archive. You need to have engaged with the challenges of managing collections, planning conservation projects, and allocating limited resources. Managing collections may involve tasks like cataloging films, checking for missing or damaged materials, and ensuring proper documentation. Conservation planning includes assessing the condition of films, determining the best methods for restoring or preserving them, and prioritizing the films that need immediate attention. Resource allocation refers to managing limited funding, staff, and storage space, which is especially critical in Brazil, where archivists often face issues like deteriorating film materials due to bad storage conditions (due to extreme temperatures, for example) , inadequate preservation facilities, and the challenge of working with fragmented collections or unidentified film reels.

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As we’ve established, our generation was the first to receive a formal, theoretical foundation in the field through dedicated university courses. It wasn't until around the 1970s that international methodologies and workflows began to take root in Brazil. Earlier generations learned on the job, often relying on expertise developed abroad. What we’ve come to realize is that film preservation training needs to be hybrid—combining both theoretical knowledge and hands-on experience. Our generation is a product of this shift, where academic discourse started to influence how preservation is understood and practiced.

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The archives in Brazil were established around the same time as most film archives worldwide. Of course, our consolidation process has been different, especially in terms of access to funding and resources. Take the Cinemateca Brasileira, for example, which originated in the 1940s from the Clube de Cinema de São Paulo, a film society founded by Paulo Emilio Salles Gomes and other cinephiles, dedicated to film appreciation, criticism, and preservation. For comparison, the International Federation of Film Archives (FIAF) was founded in 1938. So, we're not too far behind, but it's true that our process of consolidation is still ongoing.

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We need to establish our place within the broader field of film and related disciplines like archival science, museology, and library science. It’s essential to develop protocols that align with these fields, and to gain recognition as an integral part of them. This will help us standardize key processes such as cataloging practices, implement long-term preservation strategies, and create structured access policies for both researchers and the public.

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Stability is a fundamental pillar of film preservation—without it, it’s challenging to establish sustainable workflows, maintain preservation efforts over time, or plan for future restorations.

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Natália de Castro: Education and the consolidation of film preservation as a profession must go hand in hand. The issue isn’t a lack of interest—in fact, we see many professionals from fields like museology, film, and data science drawn to film preservation. But without stable career opportunities, they will inevitably move on to other fields.

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We cannot manage public heritage institutions with a workforce hired on 36-month contracts. What meaningful preservation work can be accomplished in that time? Even with an exceptionally skilled and well-trained team, short-term contracts prevent continuity and long-term planning. 

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We also need to build a network of archives. Preservation efforts cannot remain as centralized as, they’ve been in Brazil historically. Additionally, we can't focus solely on narrative feature films. We must consider other types of filmmakers, creators, and audiovisual works, and we need to establish a structure that allows a more diverse group of professionals to enter and sustain careers in this field.

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Marina Cavalcanti Tedesco: The question of which projects are carried out is a crucial one. Which films will be preserved? Which directors, genres, and forms will receive attention?

 

The same structural inequalities that have shaped Brazilian cinema—such as limited resources, regional imbalances, and a focus on certain filmmakers over others—are also present in the preservation process. Often, the films of well-established, predominantly white male directors from major cities like Rio and São Paulo are prioritized, while works by women, BIPOC filmmakers, and those from outside these urban centers are neglected in both preservation efforts and public access.

Today’s generation of Brazilian cinephiles has had a vastly different cinema education from ours, largely due to increased access to films. Access is directly tied to preservation: if films are not properly preserved, they become difficult to study and exhibit—not just because they may be inaccessible, but also because poorly preserved versions often lack the clarity, quality, and completeness required for meaningful academic research or public screenings. And, if research is limited, film education in Brazil will continue to prioritize the same works that shaped past generations—predominantly films by white male directors from Europe and the United States. While that was once the dominant framework, it has begun to shift thanks to preservation and digitization projects, which have expanded the range of films available for study and appreciation.

Natália de Castro: You touch on something crucial: we have to ensure these works can be accessed. This may sound simple, but making them accessible involves more than just opening a digital file or making a film available for screening. It requires a significant amount of preparatory work to ensure the materials are in a state that allows them to be viewed, studied, and preserved for future generations. First and foremost, we have to guarantee the conservation of these materials, ensuring they are free from deterioration and are in a condition suitable for proper exhibition or research. This includes not only restoring damaged elements but also standardizing formats and ensuring that the storage and handling of these materials meet high preservation standards. 

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What you say about certain audiovisual works having been prioritized over others connects to our earlier discussion about the structure of film archives and collections and the need for a decentralized network of regional archives.

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The use of regional archives means that the research and preparation of materials will be done by people who have a direct connection to the film’s subject matter and community. This helps ensure that the community has a role in shaping how its own history and identity are preserved and represented.

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To digitize collections and make digital preservation a reality, several essential steps must be taken. This includes securing proper storage conditions, conducting inspections to assess damage, cleaning and repairing prints when necessary, scanning or transferring the materials, and creating accurate metadata to ensure that the materials can be easily identified and accessed in the future. However, many of these crucial steps have not been implemented widely due to a lack of infrastructure and resources.

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For instance, ensuring that metadata is written by people with the necessary knowledge and sensitivity is critical. Metadata refers to the information recorded about a film during cataloging, such as its title, director, year of production, synopsis, technical details, and keywords that help classify its themes and subject matter. Films made by women and other historically neglected filmmakers often lack proper content descriptions, synopses, or relevant keywords, making them harder to locate in databases and archives. Without accurate metadata, these films remain marginalized, inaccessible, and excluded from wider cultural and academic discussions. 

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It's crucial that these films be accessible for research and that a network of archives exists to encompass a variety of perspectives and cultural agents. Just as film preservation must address these structural challenges, filmmaking itself must evolve to make room for new voices. By ensuring the preservation of these materials, we are also safeguarding a broader, more inclusive view of film history.

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Débora Butruce: What we observe in audiovisual archives reflects the way Brazilian cinema has been structured over time. This landscape has expanded in recent years, with the inclusion of new actors, cultural producers, and filmmakers. While significant gaps remain, Brazilian cinema has become much more diverse, largely thanks to public policies introduced by institutions like ANCINE [Agência Nacional do Cinema] and various state and municipal cultural departments. These initiatives include regional film funding programs, affirmative action initiatives for film schools, and grants supporting productions by marginalized filmmakers. These policies take years to establish fully, and the same long-term approach is needed for film preservation.

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Archival methodologies—the ways in which films are classified, restored, and made accessible—are also shaped by historical processes. Preservation practices tend to follow directorial or institutional recognition rather than acknowledging collaborative or performative forms of authorship. When curating films made by women, we often need to rethink conventional ideas of authorship, which have long been defined through a male-centric lens focused on directors. Authorship can also be understood through performance. Actresses have frequently played key roles in shaping the creative direction and production dynamics of a film. While films starring prominent actresses may be preserved—particularly if they were directed by canonised male filmmakers—the actresses' creative contributions are rarely what drives the decision to preserve these works. This points to a gap in how value is assigned and recorded, and it calls for a broader understanding of whose contributions are prioritized when building and restoring a cinematic legacy.

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Because film preservation in Brazil is an underfunded and unstable field, it often feels like we are constantly playing catch-up. But that doesn’t mean important work isn’t being done. This programme, Six Times Women, is a recent example of how preservation and curatorial efforts are moving forward.

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It’s also important to remember that these films are only accessible today because they were properly preserved. Digital technology has opened up incredible possibilities, but it’s not a miracle solution. There’s often a lack of awareness about the steps involved, with archives frequently being asked, “Why isn’t this film available? Why isn’t it online?” But making materials public comes with great responsibility. Archives are not simply repositories of content, and they certainly aren’t streaming platforms. Decisions about what can be made available involve legal, ethical, and technical considerations, and must be guided by professional standards of preservation and access.

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It is the responsibility of archives to provide well-organized and meaningful access to their collections—and this is a long-term commitment. Extensive work is required to describe content, catalog materials, and ensure that the resulting metadata and catalog information can be easily located and used. When it comes to so-called “minor” works, such as a set of amateur or home movies, this process becomes even more complex. Because these collections fall outside traditional types of classification, they require different types of contextual information for proper cataloging.

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There are extremely valuable collections that remain largely unexplored simply because they present perspectives that dominant cinema has overlooked. When it comes to marginalized groups, including women, we have to ask: what did they choose to film? What stories were they able to tell from their points of view? Who were these women, and how did they capture the world around them on film?

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The ability to access films has driven important discussions, but we often overlook the work required to make that access possible. The invisible labor of archives and preservation professionals remains largely unrecognized. We need to take a step back and ask ourselves, "Why are these the titles that are available?" Despite precarious conditions and inadequate resources in Brazilian archives, these titles were preserved in the best possible way. Not always in the most ideal conditions, but within the realities of our circumstances. 

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There's something Natália mentioned that I’d like to highlight because it's essential: the decentralization and regionalization of archives. Institutions in the southeast—historically the ones that have received the most resources and, as a result, greater visibility—are not necessarily the ones that should be responsible for identifying and preserving regional collections. Film preservation efforts must be genuinely national in scope and presence.

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Institutions across Brazil are at different stages of institutional development and each has its own needs and challenges. These differences directly impact their ability to provide access to their collections. In many cases, institutions that are just beginning their preservation efforts don’t yet have the infrastructure or capacity to make their materials accessible to the public.

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The demand for public access to archival materials has grown tremendously in recent years, and when institutions aren't actively making collections available, it can often seem as though no work is being done. However, immediate access cannot come at the expense of long-term preservation. Films in fragile condition require careful evaluation, with attention paid to effective conservation strategies for each title or collection.

At the same time, making materials accessible can raise awareness and even mobilize preservation efforts. These are the dilemmas that archives and “memory institutions” (instituições de memória) face every day. That’s why it’s so important to discuss these issues publicly—so that people can better understand the complexity of the work and the reasoning behind these choices.

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Marina Cavalcanti Tedesco: Providing access is the visible side of the work—what people see and interact with. But behind the scenes is an enormous, labor-intensive process. When we’re dealing with individuals or groups who have been historically marginalized, this work becomes even more complex, layered, and time-consuming. Could you share your experiences with this side of the work: the part that so often goes unseen?

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Natália de Castro: Going back to what we were discussing earlier and linking it to this question, we need to ensure not only decentralization and regionalization, but also that non-institutional initiatives are supported. We know, for example, that many groups won’t entrust their collections or their memories to a government institution. There are safety concerns for certain people—groups that have faced violence or persecution. If we truly care about the memories of these different communities, and if we believe they are an essential part of our shared history, then we need to think carefully about the best ways to ensure their preservation.

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Another critical issue I want to highlight is our over-reliance on platforms like YouTube, due to the lack of viable alternatives. For example, at CTAv, we used to upload indigenous films to YouTube, but the platform would often restrict viewership to users over 18 because of nudity. Recently, they’ve been blocking all indigenous films entirely due to concerns over child nudity, even though their guidelines permit this kind of non-erotic nudity. Ultimately, because YouTube owns the platform, its rules dictate what can and can’t be shared. This means we, as a Brazilian public institution, face the dilemma of not having full control over the dissemination of cultural materials.

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This issue highlights a deeper, longstanding problem—the dependence on private platforms and services like streaming or storage platforms, which are often our only options. These platforms can impose restrictions that undermine our ability to preserve and share important cultural works. As we move forward, we need to find alternative solutions that offer more control and respect for cultural contexts.

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When it comes to access, this is an issue we face daily. If we can’t make a film accessible right away, we need to have a clear plan for how and when access will be possible in the future. What often happens in archives is that access is delayed because the material requires preservation or another type of intervention first. However, if these actions never take place, access is postponed indefinitely.

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Once a film begins to experience acidic degradation, the deterioration accelerates quickly. It becomes a race against time. If we isolate the film and take all possible measures to slow down its deterioration, but then fail to proceed with preservation or digitization, the film is ultimately lost.

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On the other hand, providing access can help people engage with the film, raise awareness, and advocate for its preservation. There are so many factors to consider.

Débora Butruce: We need to think about independent projects as well. The arrival of digital technology has expanded possibilities and made both filmmaking and digital preservation more accessible. However, digital preservation is complex and much more fragile than people realize. Many assume that platforms like YouTube are reliable storage solutions—“It’s preserved on YouTube!”—but this is a misconception. While YouTube is a stable and well-established platform, and unlikely to disappear overnight, preservation requires a different mindset. It’s about planning for the future, ensuring accessibility over decades, not just for a few years.

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When we discuss digital preservation, even the longest-term strategies generally look ahead only about 20 years. Institutions already bear significant responsibility in managing their analog film collections, and they must also develop structured strategies for digital materials. If we don’t address this comprehensively, we won’t be able to keep up. Without urgent and responsible action, we will face significant gaps in the preservation of born-digital Brazilian films.

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Filmmakers must take this issue seriously, considering what can be done on an individual level to preserve their collections—even if it’s on a small scale.

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The access issue is an interesting one because it touches on both internal and external factors. How can we carry out the necessary internal work in archives while grappling with precarious conditions? Having worked in various public institutions, I’ve observed that we are constantly managing urgent internal issues, which prevent us from setting clear priorities and making long-term plans. At the same time, we face ongoing demands from external entities, such as researchers, filmmakers, production companies, and cultural institutions. While these demands can be beneficial because they bring attention to collections we might otherwise overlook, the lack of stability creates significant challenges. When we focus too much on responding to external pressures, effective internal planning is often neglected.

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This is why defining clear priorities is so crucial in collection policy. This topic has been widely discussed both in the field globally and within ABPA (Brazilian Association of Audiovisual Preservation). Many Brazilian institutions struggle to establish solid policies for their archives because they are overwhelmed by daily operational challenges—such as understaffing, insufficient funding, and the constant need to respond to external requests. These factors leave little room for structured medium- and long-term planning.

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The demand for archival footage and heritage films has increased significantly, both within Brazil and internationally, as interest in Brazilian cinema has grown. However, this surge in demand has not been matched by an increase in resources. The budgets and staff of archival institutions remain the same, while the workload continues to expand.

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Marina Cavalcanti Tedesco: Could you talk about the importance of having a Brazilian Association of Audiovisual Preservation? ABPA faces many of the same challenges—such as funding, infrastructure, and instability—but it serves as a crucial space for discussion and has the potential to create a broader impact. What are some key discussions currently taking place within ABPA and other, perhaps even international, forums that you believe are important to share?

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Débora Butruce: ABPA was founded in 2008. We are part of its current board—I'm the president, and Natália is the director of institutional relations.[2] The association reflects the evolution of the field. After 2000, projects like the Brazilian Film Statistical Yearbook (Anuário Estatístico do Cinema Brasileiro) began to emerge, helping professionals recognize film preservation as a distinct area of work.[3] This marked an important shift, and the creation of the association was a natural step in that process.

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Our challenge is that we are an association of professionals, not archives, and this  affects our ability to influence decisions. While we bring together specialists in audiovisual preservation, we don't represent the institutions that hold collections, which can limit the reach and direct impact of our discussions. However, in recent years, our influence has grown through stronger advocacy, increased collaborations, and greater public awareness of preservation issues, allowing us to make a more significant impact on policy discussions.

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ABPA currently has a board of seven members—six women and one man—reflecting a broader shift toward greater gender balance in the field. We work to highlight the importance of archival institutions, raise awareness of the need to preserve film heritage, and advocate for recognition of film preservation professionals. We also aim to foster dialogue that extends beyond the preservation sector, as securing meaningful change requires engagement with other industries and stakeholders. Structural public policies are essential for the sustainability of preservation efforts in Brazil.

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One of our key efforts has been working with filmmakers to challenge the idea that preservation is a secondary concern. Too often, it is seen as something to address only after disaster strikes. But, by the time a collection is lost or irreparably damaged, it’s too late. Those who experience the personal tragedy of losing their archives inevitably come to understand, in hindsight, the vital importance of preservation. Our goal is to ensure that this awareness takes root before such losses occur.

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We’ve also been actively involved in international discussions. For example, AMIA (Association of Moving Image Archivists), a U.S.-based organization with members from around the world, has invited ABPA to participate in its annual conferences and ongoing discussions. These invitations have provided us with the opportunity to engage with international experts, share our experiences, and learn from other countries’ approaches to audiovisual preservation. However, the challenges we face in Brazil require solutions tailored to our specific needs. I always return from international events feeling inspired and, at times, surprised by the topics being discussed—some of which seem quite removed from our reality. We must engage in deeper, more substantial discussions within our own context. Whether in terms of infrastructure, available resources, or the unpredictability of climate, our efforts must be adapted to our specific environment. We’re still grappling with basic structural issues. Our hot and humid climate alone presents a significant challenge to preservation efforts. 

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When we engage in international discussions, we’re starting from a different set of circumstances. But this challenge has also fostered the production of valuable knowledge within Brazil. In fact, we often joke that Brazil is like an accelerated experimentation lab for preservation in a warming world — a place where we’re already confronting the realities of how heat, humidity, and limited resources test the boundaries of archival care.

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A good example of this is the issue of polyester film deterioration, which Natália and I have been  examining closely. Polyester film was introduced as a more stable alternative to acetate film because it doesn’t suffer from vinegar syndrome. However, in recent years, we’ve observed significant deterioration in polyester films due to Brazil’s climate. This situation puts us in a unique position to lead research on polyester film degradation. But, for this to be truly effective, we need more than just reactive measures—we need the ability to engage in long-term planning and dedicated research. Brazil has a wealth of specialized knowledge to offer in this area, and our research can contribute to global conversations.

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The challenges archives abroad face are different, but there are key points of connection. Other hot and humid countries, such as those in Central America, likely share similar concerns, yet we rarely engage in dialogue with them. Instead, much of the research and many of the theoretical frameworks in preservation are produced in wealthier countries with more resources. Best practices regarding storage environments, conservation materials, and risk management were largely developed in these wealthier settings, which have stable funding, specialized equipment, and climate-controlled facilities. As a result, the methodologies and practices we use in Brazil are often based on assumptions that what works in these more stable environments will work here too. These approaches were not designed for the specific challenges we face in Brazil, making them imperfect fits for our reality.

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However, this dynamic is slowly shifting. Latin America has begun to position itself as a hub for cutting-edge preservation research. Yet, for our contributions to be fully recognized and for international dialogue to be truly effective, we need greater stability—both financial and institutional. Without it, we remain trapped in a cycle of crisis management, unable to shape the field with the knowledge we are generating fully.

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Natália de Castro: It’s true. Many countries, archives, and professionals face challenges similar to ours, but there is not enough dialogue between us. While we have the capacity to develop certain technologies locally, we often struggle to access key tools and equipment, such as film scanners, which are widely produced in Europe and the United States. The high costs and logistical difficulties associated with importing these technologies make them much less accessible to institutions in Brazil.

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A prime example of this is the acidity test strips we use to detect acid degradation in films. These strips are imported and were designed for controlled environments in other countries. They work by changing color from blue to yellow as acidity increases. However, in our conditions, the strips often turn orange, exceeding the measurement limits of the tool. This suggests that the materials we work with undergo chemical processes that differ from those in the environments for which the strips were designed. Humidity, fluctuations in temperature, and other local variables likely contribute to this discrepancy. This is just one example of how we need to develop preservation tools tailored to our specific reality. We have the expertise to create technologies suited to our needs, yet research and development in this area remain severely underfunded.

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It is essential to recognize the role of universities, research institutions, and the bridge between archives and academia. Without this connection, we continue to rely on imported methodologies and tools that do not fully address our unique challenges.

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ABPA is both a product of the field’s development and a reflection of its instability. Many professionals have passed through ABPA and the preservation field, only to leave. After years of study and training—often with the support of public funding for courses in Brazil and abroad—we lose skilled professionals simply because they cannot sustain a career in this field. The lack of stable job opportunities and institutional support forces many to move on, weakening the long-term growth of audiovisual preservation in the country.

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Marina Cavalcanti Tedesco: I'd like to revisit the topic of women in archives. There's a long-standing connection between caregiving, memory preservation, and women. Working in film archives, while still part of the audiovisual field, often provides more flexibility compared to working on a film set, making it easier to balance with motherhood and domestic responsibilities. It’s also a profession that, until recently, has been undervalued. These factors have contributed to the significant presence of women in film archives since the early days of cinema. However, as in many other areas, their roles have often been overlooked and underappreciated.

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Débora Butruce: This is something we've always reflected on, but it has been coming up more strongly in recent years. Natália and I are mothers, and motherhood has undeniably shaped my career in film preservation. I was fortunate to have my own film inspection table at home, which allowed me to resume work shortly after my daughter was born. When the CTAv project was terminated, following the work stoppages in 2020, around the time the Cinemateca closed, it threw me into a state of panic. Having access to the means of production—bringing back the longstanding issue of class struggle and inequality—was what enabled me to keep working despite the challenges of the postpartum period, unemployment, and instability.

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The termination of the CTAv project was a direct consequence of the severe crisis in the national audiovisual sector in 2020. This crisis was marked by significant political instability and a lack of governmental support. In August 2020, the federal government dismissed all technical staff and dissolved the Associação Roquete Pinto (ACERP), the organization responsible for managing key audiovisual preservation efforts. The restructuring of the Ministry of Culture, which was transferred to the Ministry of Citizenship, dismantled critical cultural policies that had previously supported film preservation. As a result, projects like CTAv, which relied on stable infrastructure and governmental support, were unable to continue their activities, leading to their termination.

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This issue isn't so different from other challenges women face in the workplace. Instability generates panic because we never know what the future holds, and we can't make medium- or long-term plans. Personally, I’ve managed to maintain some regularity in my work, but I'm always on edge, knowing that this regularity might well not last. This uncertainty impacts my everyday life. When I started my PhD, I had many conversations with my advisor, who wanted me to focus exclusively on research, but I couldn’t afford to turn down any work. I knew that, if I were to step away from the field, it would be hard to return. We understand how difficult it is to come back to film preservation—and what exactly would we be returning to? A field that barely exists in the first place.But things have been changing, and it’s important to acknowledge and celebrate that. We often complain in this field, and sometimes it feels like it’s all doom and gloom—but it’s not. Some things are shifting. In the analog world, film is increasingly being recognized as a museological artifact, and people are gradually starting to understand its significance. The work of preservation professionals has gained more recognition, and, at its core, this grassroots effort has been—and continues to be—largely carried out by women.

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Natália de Castro: The gender issue permeates every aspect of our lives. When I became unemployed, I started taking on gig work, working at film screening events, and so on. Fortunately, I was already in a master’s program and had a scholarship, which allowed me to support myself for a while, along with occasional freelance work. During my master’s, I got pregnant, and I was only able to receive maternity pay because I had been contributing to Brazilian Social Security for years. That maternity pay helped sustain me for a time, and I could only begin looking for work again once I secured a spot for my daughter in a public daycare. 

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Now, as a public servant in a post-pandemic reality, I’ve been able to work in a hybrid model. A few days a week, I need to pick up my daughter from school at 2:30 PM, and I recognize that I can do this because of the position I hold today. But for those who don’t have this flexibility, the options often boil down to staying home or leaving the workforce altogether.

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Débora Butruce: Natália brought up an interesting point about academia, which ended up being an alternative for her. The same thing happened to me when I found myself unemployed. I started my PhD research because I felt I had so much potential, experience, and a desire to share that knowledge with the world. I returned to academia out of a need to stay active in the field and, at the time, university seemed like a viable path.

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I jumped headfirst into the PhD program in the ECA (School of Communication and Arts) at the USP (University of São Paulo) without a scholarship. Halfway through the program, I managed to secure an emergency scholarship because I met the criteria—having a child, among other factors. That support was crucial in allowing me to make a living and carry out my research properly.

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Natália de Castro: It’s important to take a moment to reflect on these issues and develop ideas. We often miss that opportunity because we’re always rushing—we can’t pause our daily routines to think and write.

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Marina Cavalcanti Tedesco: Many film professionals spend their entire careers as freelancers, working under precarious conditions, with no stability or rights. How can they afford the time to pause, reflect, and organize their experiences into knowledge? If that knowledge doesn’t turn into a thesis or a dissertation, it often remains with the individual and their immediate circle. Film preservation is inherently research-driven—film archivists and academia should be in constant dialogue. You and your generation are proof that, when that happens, both academia and film preservation benefit tremendously.

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Before we move on to your final thoughts, is there anything I haven’t asked that you’d like to discuss?

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Débora Butruce: There’s a specific issue we touched on briefly, which is the digitization of collections. While this is becoming more common, especially in Brazil, we need to approach it responsibly. We’re generating an enormous amount of data—how will we preserve all of this digitally? It’s not just about putting it on a hard drive and storing it away; digital preservation requires much more complex steps. We will continue to deal with the analog aspect of the work—original films are not discarded once they’re digitized—and we need to think more broadly and systematically about digital preservation. We welcome digitization initiatives; they have a significant impact and draw attention to the field of film preservation. However, if we don’t approach this responsibly, in five years the materials will be in worse condition and the digitizations will need to be redone.

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Natália de Castro: This is a crucial moment for us to communicate more effectively with the public, helping them to understand that uploading a film to YouTube doesn’t necessarily mean it’s preserved. People need to grasp all the steps involved in preservation for our work to be truly recognized and legitimized.

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Returning to what we discussed earlier, academia is closely tied to instability. We must be cautious to ensure that the specialized knowledge of film archives isn’t lost. Too often, when projects end, people lose their jobs overnight, institutions are left without staff, and the valuable knowledge accumulated during the project vanishes. It’s our responsibility to systematize that knowledge—writing, researching, and consolidating it—so we don’t have to keep starting from scratch.

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Regarding digitization, I had never seen any of the films in this program before, and it’s amazing that we can now access them. We need to make the most of this opportunity. At CTAv, for example, and also at ABPA, we’ve made a tremendous effort to make these kinds of films available: audiovisual content such as home movies, documentaries, and independent films that have long been overlooked. It’s incredible being able to watch these films. So often, we only have access to a synopsis, or simply to the fact that the film existed. I remember so many films that I was unable to fully appreciate when I was an undergraduate because the copies were so bad—VHS copies, faded magenta copies. When we have the chance, we must seize the opportunity to provide access to high-quality copies. The quality of the copy we watch significantly impacts our enjoyment of the work. I want to commend the initiatives that have made these films available; all of the films are incredible, showcasing many aspects of what it means to be a woman, addressing not just gender issues but also various other societal questions. Access has the power to do that.

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Marina Cavalcanti Tedesco: It's impossible to think about gender without considering the broader context—we quickly realize that what we often see as specific or personal issues are, in fact, deeply interconnected and shared.

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I want to thank Natália de Castro and Débora Butruce for taking part in this panel, part of the Seis Vezes Mulher program presented by Cinelimite, Another Gaze, and IMS. I hope this conversation is as meaningful and engaging for the public as it was for us.

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Marina Cavalcanti Tedesco (Nina Tedesco) is a professor in the Department of Film and Video and in the Graduate Program in Film and Audiovisual at Fluminense Federal University. Her main research areas are women in Latin American audiovisual media, and cinematography. She also works as a researcher, screenwriter, director, and cinematographer.

 

Natália de Castro is an audiovisual preservationist, holds a master’s degree in Audiovisual Media and Processes, and is a public servant with the Audiovisual Collection at the Centro Técnico Audiovisual (CTAv), part of the Ministry of Culture. She is the author of the book Film Inspection: A Basic Manual (2023).

 

Débora Butruce is an audiovisual preservationist, film restorer and independent curator. She holds a PhD in Audiovisual Media and Processes from ECA-USP and was a Visiting Scholar at NYU's Moving Image Archiving and Preservation Programme. She has 25 years of experience in the field of preservation, working with Brazil's leading audiovisual heritage institutions. Her restoration work on classic and rare Brazilian films has been screened worldwide at film festivals and in commercial cinemas in Brazil and abroad. She is the creator of the International Domestic Film Festival and the Coleção Cinema Campineiro project, and was the film programme curator for the 2025 São Paulo Biennial. She is a founding member and current board member of the Brazilian Association for Audiovisual Preservation (ABPA).

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[1] The Censo Cinematográfico Brasileiro (Brazilian Film Census) was a project aimed at surveying and documenting the production, distribution, and exhibition of films in Brazil, helping to map the country's cinematic output and infrastructure. The project was active between 2001 to 2003.

[2] This conversation took place in 2023. As of 2025, Nátalia no longer holds this position within ABPA.

[3]  The Anuário Estatístico do Cinema Brasileiro (Brazilian Film Statistical Yearbook) is an annual publication by the Agência Nacional do Cinema (ANCINE) that compiles data on film production, distribution, exhibition, and public policies in Brazil. Created in the early 2000s, it became a key reference for researchers and professionals, helping to systematize information about the national audiovisual sector.

Translated with DeepL.com (free version)