The films of the First World War hold immense historical and cultural significance, providing a visual testament to a brutal and transformative period in global history. Preserving and ensuring public access to these shared heritage films is not just about preserving the past; it is a crucial tool for educating future generations and preventing the recurrence of such global conflicts. By promoting a deeper understanding of the human resilience, sacrifice, and the shared experiences that defined the 1914-1918 era through these surviving films, we strengthen our collective memory and reaffirm our commitment to never forget the lessons of the First World War.

While many publicly funded institutions excel in conserving film heritage and recognize the importance of making it accessible to researchers, filmmakers, and the public, it is unfortunate that some archives restrict access to this shared heritage. Despite international conventions and EU regulations clearly stating that no individual or institution can claim ownership or authority of original content from this era—deeming it the shared heritage of humanity—there are currently no concrete regulations in place to prevent unjust practices. 

While it is reasonable for archives to charge fair and justifiable fees for the work required to digitize, maintain, or provide access to these materials Federally funded institutions that possess these films have an ethical obligation to distribute them and ensure they remain accessible, fulfilling their responsibility to the public and upholding the principle that this cultural and documentary heritage belongs to all.

Since August 2024 I have been engaged in an ongoing effort to secure access to high-resolution World War I public heritage films held by the Royal Belgian Film Archive (Cinematek) for restoration. These films are a crucial part of our shared cultural heritage (not solely for Beligum!), yet despite many respectful attempts to find a solution, Mr. Leyers, Head Conservator at the Archive, has brutally declined to provide access to high-resolution copies or engage in a meaningful dialogue with me whatsoever.

My requests were clear and reasonable: to digitize some of these films in high resolution for restoration. To accommodate the archive’s supposed constraints, I offered to personally fund the costly digitization process, proposed the involvement of external professional labs, and even suggested postponing the project by a whole year to better suit their 'very busy' schedule!. Despite these compromises, Mr. Leyers has consistently declined all proposed compromises. The only explanation for this refusal is a lack of institutional backing, which is an absurd and baseless justification, especially considering no other film archives in Europe require this and none are so restrictive.

It also seems Mr. Leyers believes that providing a low-resolution poorly executed scan of such historically significant material on YouTube constitutes making these films publicly available. I quote, "They are already available." I will argue this is not proper accessibility by any standard of preservation. How can low-resolution videos possibly meet the standard of true public accessibility? They are also useless for any serious project. Such a dismissive approach undermines the historical and cultural value of these films and the legacy they represent. It would be like making a poor copy of the Mona Lisa, putting it where no one knows it resides, and locking the original away in a sealed vault! I quote 'i do not see the point in rescanning them.'

This refusal and behavior is very disappointing, it violates the principles of transparency, public access, and accountability expected of a publicly funded institution. Public heritage materials, particularly those of historical significance like World War I films, belong to the collective memory of humanity and should be accessible to researchers, historians, enthusiasts, and the broader public—and never be restricted based on institutional convenience or other arbitrary conditions!

Update (more information in the petition updates' section):

Please consider reaching out to the Archive at secretariat@cinematek.be, access@cinematek.be, or directly to Mr. Tomas Leyers, Head Conservator at the Royal Belgian Film Archive, at tomas.leyers@cinematek.be

If you wish to help us in this by contacting Mr. Leyers at tomas.leyers@cinematek.be or other mails, it is important that we all remain professional and kind. However, we must also be very determined in our collective request for access to high-resolution scans of these films and for clarification on why he insists on withholding high-resolution copies from the public instead of allowing them to be restored and shown in full resolution and color to the world. 

I truly believe these men who were slaughtered over 106 years ago in Belgium need to be honored. Why does he insist on this approach? Does he want these historically significant films to remain forgotten and unseen in clear, restored quality for another 100 years? These are questions we must all ask him as well as ask the archive for further clarification. It seems he doesn't want to answer my questions. I find it deeply saddening that anyone in a position of responsibility over such priceless cultural heritage would choose to withhold them from enthusiasts who wish to properly restore, preserve, and share them with the world.

Mr. Leyers Email is; tomas.leyers@cinematek.be

The secritariat's email is; secretariat@cinematek.be

they also have another email; access@cinematek.be