It started with the discovery of old films preciously kept in a suitcase for more than 50 years. I had the puzzle of my own story to recompose. Whether it is a need for identification or differentiation, out of curiosity or necessity, comes a day when each of us wonders where he comes from. For my part, I wanted to understand my family history.
Lives, choices, direct or indirect consequences and analyze what I received unconsciously. Each new generation inherits an intangible heritage that we all underestimate. The weight of this heritage varies according to people and stories. We define ourselves through it.
But does it really participate in our personal construction?
CHALLENGE
How to enhance a family heritage rich in photos and videos?
THE ANSWER
I worked many years on a platform project. First step was to identify and restore all old 8 and super 8 film reels with the help of the Ad Libitum film workshop. Once it was done, we were able to send it for digitalization. In total, it’s more than 6 hours of videos, filmed in many countries (Vietnam, India, Egypt, Djibouti, Marocco, Tunisia, Italy, France, Antarctica). I built a website to publish all videos, from 1929 to 1992. After having cut and prepared each videos, the idea was to identify each countries and places with the help of AI tools (like Google Lens). Once the videos ready and tagged, I sent the link to all extented family members to have a look on it, share with others members and ask for participation for the identification process.
