Untenstehend habe ich die zahlreichen Rückmeldungen zu meiner Anfrage über Archive im Spielfilm in der archivlist zusammengefasst. Records Management included.
Herzlichen Dank an alle BeiträgerInnen!
Helga Penz
1. April 2000 ——– Österreichischer Sci-Fi aus dem Jahr 1952. Nach
unzähligen, ergebnislosen Verhandlungen mit den alliierten Siegermächten
über die Unabhängigkeit Österreichs fordert der österreichische
Ministerpräsident im Jahr 2000 seine Landsleute auf, ihre
viersprachigen, von den Alliierten ausgegebenen Personalausweise zu
zerreißen, um ein Signal zu setzen. Als das Land kurz vor einer
Verurteilung wegen des Bruchs des Weltfriedens steht, findet man die im
Österreichischen Staatsarchiv (gedreht im Prunksaal der Österreichischen
Nationalbibliothek!) die Moskauer Deklaration von 1943…
A Civil Action —————— A John Travolta film where the records
from his case are handed over to the Environmental Protection Agency. I
believe they use a forklift to move the records in a warehouse full of
such documents.
A Few Good Men —————————- The tower chiefs logs for
Guantanamo Bay and Andrew Airforce base are used as evidence. These
should log a flight that took place at a certain but Colonel Jessup has
somehow has them unauthorizedly amended to save him from getting into
trouble.
Alien 3(?) ———- The plots centre around the mining companies
secret defence contract agenda, which Ripley accesses electronically
from the ship’s records system. She also accesses the company personnel
files.
All the Presidents’ Men —————————- This film from 1976
stars Robert Redford and Dustin Hoffman, as reporters from the
Washington Post who discover a link between the Whitehouse and the
break-in at the Watergate building, leading to the downfall of Nixon.
They investigate the destruction of official records being destroyed
without authorisation to cover up the conspiracy. Cringe as Dustin
Hoffman goes into a government record office and is brought some volumes
by a very nerdy searchroom assistant. He then tears out the pages he
needs as evidence, when the assistant isn’t looking.
American Splendour ——————— A recent and quirky film, where
the main character, Harvey Pekar, is a hospital Records Manager and
part-time comic script writer. Many of the scenes are set in his file
room. It won the Grand Jury Prize, Sundance Film Festival 2003; and the
Critics Prize, Cannes Film Festival 2003.
Being John Malkovich ——————————— This included a
records centre with an unusually low ceiling height (cheap rental
value), where you could access the brain of JM via a portal hidden
behind a filing cabinet.
Blade ———————— In diesem Film kommt ein “Vampir-Archiv”
vor und sogar ein Vampir Archivar.
Bladerunner ———— Are we human because we keep records? Will we
have biometric records to prove that we are human?
Blue Collar ————— Paul Shrader’s film where factory workers
Harvey Keitel, Yaphet Koto and Richard Pryor raid their trade union
office for money and find records relating to the unions involvement
with the mafia. A great blues sound track follows this film and it is
supposed to represent the disenchantment many Americans felt in Post
Nixon America.
Brazil ——————– Sam Lowry ist ein kleiner Angestellter in
der Abteilung für Informationswiederbeschaffung des allmächtigen
“Ministeriums für Information” (M.O.I.) in einer düsteren,
bürokratisierten Welt. Seine einflussreiche Mutter bestimmt seine
Karriere und sein Leben, soweit es ihr möglich ist. Durch einen
Druckfehler kommt es zu einer folgenschweren Verwechslung, bei der
anstatt eines als “Terrorist” gesuchten Freiberuflers namens Tuttle, der
sich dem alles beherrschenden Bürokratieapparat dieser Gesellschaft
entzieht, ein Familienvater namens Buttle verhaftet wird. Sam wird die
bürokratische Nachbearbeitung dieses Irrtums aufgetragen…
Bruce Almighty —————- Jim Carey demonstrates just how much you
can fit into a filing cabinet. He also has a records problem in managing
prayer requests. The prayers have built up and he needs a system to
manage them. First he tries stick-it notes, then filing cabinets, and
finally opts for an email system on a computer called Yahweh.
Carlton Brown of the FO ————————- Classic 1950’s comedy
featuring Terry Thomas and Peter Sellers. The Foreign Office receives a
letter from a colony they had completely forgotten about and have to
ring down to Archives to retrieve its papers. The Archives/RM unit
consists of cobweb encrusted cupboards with mice (located in, you
guessed it, the basement) looked after by an ancient, shuffling records
manager/Archivist – how not to keep your semi-current records!
Chinatown ————— Jack Nicholson goes to the records office,
borrows a ruler from the records clerk, and tears off a property deed
while the clerk is not looking.
Class Action ————- This 1990 movie class features Gene Hackman.
The film centres around evidence for a court case against a motor firm.
Many scenes in a Record Centre & lots of records being dumped on
solicitors to mask “the truth”!It includes a strong document
production/litigation theme with tons of Iron Mountain boxes and the
line by an elderly witness who said that he didn’t have the document —
to get it you have to go to the mountain — Iron Mountain!.
Clear and Present Danger —————————————–
Demonstrates the difference between computerized research into records
versus paper records and how a destruction schedule is not always
respected.
Das Schloss ———– … hat eine fantastische Archivscene.
Das schreckliche Mädchen ———–Basierend auf den realen
Forschungsarbeiten der Studentin Anja Rosmus im Passau der frühen 80er
Jahre und deren Umstände schildert Michael Verhoeven in seiner Satire
die Geschichte der Schülerin Sonja, die nach einem gewonnenen
Aufsatzwettbewerb in einer fiktiven bayerischen Stadt die
Nazi-Vergangenheit ihres Heimatortes aufarbeiten möchte und dabei von
einem gnadenlosen Schulterschluss von Stammtisch-Mob und Stadtverwaltung
(Stadtarchiv!) torpediert wird.
Der Schattenmönch —————In Paderborn wurde 2003 anläßlich des
Säkularisationsjubiläums der Spielfilm “Der Schattenmönch” uraufgeführt
und später als Kaufvideo vertrieben. Darin recherchieren Studenten nach
einem Geheimnis aus dem Winter 1802/03 und gehen ins “Staatsarchiv
Detmold”, gedreht wurde allerdings im Archiv des Erzbistums Paderborn.
Der Film ist mit Laiendarstellern gedreht worden und hat vor allem wegen
des starken Regionalbezuges einen eigenen Charme (weniger wegen der
intelligenten Dialoge).
Desk Set ——– A classic Spencer Tracy/ Kate Hepburn movie
Die Hard 2 ———– Bruce Willis is looking for the plans for the
airport cable raceways to get under the runway and he encounters the
“file room” with the drawings in rolls “filed” in garbage cans…
Disclosure ———- The film version of Michael Crichton’s novel in
which the electronic records of the computer company in which the action
is set are visualised in their experimental virtual reality environment
as a series of folders in vertical filing cabinets, the drawers of which
are marked with topic labels and open on voice command. When the hero
(Michael Douglas) enters the virtual reality space looking for ‘files’
he watches them physically disappear as the evil hard woman who is
trying to destroy his career (Demi Moore) sits at her computer in real
time and deletes them. He is able to recover the crucial deleted e-mails
and other documents he needs by having them faxed to him by the
recipient in the firm’s Asian manufacturing plant. This gives him a
hardcopy product and by passes the firm’s e-mail system from which he
has been maliciously excluded.
Dodge Ball —————- A brief mention of Freedom of Information
Erin Brokovitch —————– Julia Roberts stars as Erin Brokovitch
as the heroine of the movie pitched into battle against. Pacific Gas &
Electric. The story is littered with references to the use and abuse of
records (and very disorganised file rooms).and provides a very useful
(negative) illustration of the issues around disclosure and retrieval of
relevant records: 1. The water testing board retained all their water
testing records in a back of beyond office – despite being retained in a
haphazard format (not sure if it would be classed as a relevant filing
system, and after an extensive search, key records are found in paper
format providing valuable evidence against a corporation’s chemical
disposal procedures, controls and damage mitigation activity. 2. A
worker for the manufacturer recalled being asked to shred a substantial
amount of paper records in dubious circumstances and was able to recall
the nature of the content and timing of the request to dispose. Again,
the nature of the disposal of the records was held against the firm. 3.
Documents from the manufacturer to householders residing near the plant
confirmed offers to purchase their property for minimum sums and again
provided key evidence as ‘records of activity’ by the manufacturer to
enter into damage mitigation activity. …and as everyone knows,
substantial payouts ensued thanks to the records!
Enemy of the State —————————- This film featuring Gene
Hackman and Denzil Washington included the capture of a murder scene on
a video used to record bird activity – demonstrating that over the
lifecycle of the record, the content may have more value than that of
original intent! Stolen identities and lots of Data Protection type
issues – a good illustration of how records can be manipulated.
Enigma ——- Record access issues and secrets abound.
Extreme Measures (1996) ————— Regie: Michael Apted, mit Hugh
Grant. Dr. Guy Luthan (Hugh Grant) is a New York emergency room doctor
who one night comes across a strange patient: a homeless man who has a
wristband from a hospital he’s not familiar with, mentioning a drug he’s
never heard of, and with strange symptoms, including a wildly
fluctuating heart rate. When the man dies, Guy attempts to follow up and
find out more about the patient – only to find that the body and all
records have disappeared, and he’s told by his superiors to drop the case.
Fatherland ———– Old Nazi records are key to the story.
Fräulein Smillas Gespühr für Schnee —– Im Buch spielt das Archiv eine
wichtige Rolle (mit Überfall im Dunkeln zwischen den Regalen etc.)
Ghostbusters ————- The library scene.
Glengarry Glen Ross ———————- Having your records stolen by
a member of your own workforce is quite a trying experience. The acting
by Al Pacino, Jack Lemmon, Kevin Spacey and Alec Baldwin is a
masterclass. You also get the atmosphere of a high tension office at
work or ordinary people under extraordinary pressure.
Hannibal ——— Patients files have been dumped in a filing cabinet
in the old, abandoned hospital, providing Barney with an opportunity to
sell Hannibal Lecter’s medical files on the internet.
Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy ———————————
Always a good idea to check with planning. Is there an intergalactic EIR
system?
Hopscotch ————— Walter Matthau and Glenda Jackson. Walter = a
retiring CIA/FBI (one of them) agent who successfully manages to shred
his file while the records manager distracted with talk of baseball. No
formal tracking of files going out there either!
Hudsucker oder Der große Sprung ———— ein USA-Spielfilm aus den
90er Jahren, in dem ein Bürobote mit Ärmelschonern aus einer total
vollgerümpelten, dunklen Registratur im 19.-Jh.-Stil versehentlich zum
Chef eines US-Großkonzerns wird und in die lichtdurchflutete Chefetage
aufsteigt.
In The Name of The Father —————————- A records clerk
inadvertently gives the barrister (Emma Thomson) the wrong file, the one
that reveals the suppression of evidence that resulted in a miscarriage
of justice.
Insider ———- In Michael Mann’s excellent where Russell Crowe walks
out of his office with confidential information relating to the
addictiveness of cigarettes. This story is loosely based on real events,
but the film again shows ordinary people working under extraordinary
circumstances. The fax machine plays a vital role in this film as does
email and the tension generated around waiting for information to come
through is palpable. I also liked Michael Gambons gold desk pen set.
James Bond: Goldeneye ———– James Bond runs amok in a Russian
filing room and the unsecured shelves and their contents go flying in
particularly spectacular fashion. Case files associated with all other
movies.
LA Confidential —————- Russell Crowe and Guy Pearce destroy a
records store by fighting after one of them has accessed some of the
records.Guy Pearce also manages to find lots of information from files
languishing in the basement.
Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring ———————- Gandalf
goes to search some old documents in the Minas Tirith archives, where he
sits in a gloomy, dank room (a basement probably!), surrounded by piles
of dust and thousands of lit candles.
Michael Collins —————– (mit Liam Neeson und Alan Rickman),
worin das Archiv der königlichen Polizeikräfte in Dublin eine grosse
Rolle spielt. Maulwürfe innerhalb der Ordnungskräfte ermöglichen
heimlicherweise republikanischen Aktivisten, ihre Dossiers einzusehen.
Minority Report —————- A RM system of the future.
Murder at 1600(Mord im Weißen Haus) ————- Im Haus “1600
Pennsylvania Avenue” (die Adresse des weißen Hauses) wurde ein Mord
verübt. Die Tote, die dort angestellte Carla Town wird in einer Toilette
des Gebäudes gefunden – offensichtlich, nachdem sie kurz vorher noch
mehr oder weniger freiwillig Geschlechtsverkehr hatte. Nicht nur für
Secret Service-Chef Nick Spikings ist die Sache daher so brisant, dass
er sie am liebsten unter den Teppich kehren möchte.
Napoleon ———- Kevin Brownlows restoration of this silent film
classic has a scene where the dramatic destruction of the state records
is symbolic of the fall of the old regime.
National Treasure —————– featuring the US national archive
and the Declaration of Independence.
Nineteen Eighty-four (1984) ——– Regie: Michael Radford, mit John
Hurt. It is the story of the life of the intellectual Winston Smith, his
job in the Ministry of Truth, and his degradation by the totalitarian
government of Oceania, the country in which he lives.
Office Space ————- One of the minor characters is a records
clerk responsible for collation and distribution of reports. During a
reorganization, consultants discover that he was actually laid off,
never told, and continued to be paid for 3 years. Rather than inform the
poor records clerk that he has been sacked, the consultants just remove
him from the payroll. To add insult to injury, the records clerk’s
office is moved 3 times finally resulting in him being relocated to the
basement with no lights & a can of bug spray to control the roaches.
Passport to Pimlico ——————- A deed (which has been misfiled
and lost!) proves that Pimlico belongs to the Duke of Burgundy rather
than to the British Crown.
Pirates of the Caribbean —– “Fluch der Karibik 3”: Rolling Stone
Keith Richards als ‘Keeper of the Code’ der Piratenunion.
Presumed Innocent ——————- Harrison Ford plays an attorney
accused of murdering a colleague and is seen packing files into an Iron
Mountain box.
Raiders of the Lost Ark ———————————– The closing
sequence demonstrating exactly how to hide valuable items in a warehouse
Rollerball ———————– mit James Caan (liquide archive)
San Gottardo ——— (Reg. Villi Hermann). Das alte Staatsarchiv
befand sich damals, 1976, noch im Chor einer spätgotischen Kirche und
das Ameublement stammte aus der Zeit des 1. Weltkriegs. Kurzum, es bot
die ideale Kulisse für Szenen aus der Zeit, als die Gotthardbahn gebaut
wurde.
Serendipity ———— John Cusack traces Kate Beckinsale using the
credit card records of a department store.
Silent Hill ——– Horrorfilm 2006, featuring das Gemeindearchiv von
Brahams in “Silent Hill”, das im Rathaus untergebracht ist. Nachdem die
verglaste Bürotür eingeschlagen ist, kommt man in eine Besenkammer
vollgestopft mit Kartons und der Karton mit den gesuchten Polizeiakten
(!), die beim Brand der Stadt Silent Hill vor 30 Jahren gerade noch
gerettet werden konnten und schon etwas angekohlt sind, stehen doch
tatsächlich gleich in der vorderen Reihe und können schnell
durchblättert werden…
Spy Game ———— Robert Redford uses information systems, maps,
press leaks, knowledge of records management, and amazing chutzpah to
save Brad Pitt.
Star Wars Episode II ————– Im Jedi-Archiv sucht Obi-Wan Kenobi
vergeblich Aufzeichnungen über ein Planetensystem. Denkwürdiger
Ausspruch der Archivarin: “was nicht im Archiv ist, gibt es nicht”.
The Avangers ————- 1998 kam die Spielfimfassung von “Mit Schirm, 6
Charme und Melone” in die Kinos, wo der (durch ein fehlgeschlagenes
Experiment) völlig unsichtbare Colonel Jones das Archiv des Secret
Service verwaltet.
The Pelican Brief ——– (mit D. Washington u. J. Roberts), wo die
Gefährlichkeit schlechter archivischer Verzeichnungsarbeit thematisiert
wird.
Zardoz —————– mit Sean Connery (Kristallarchiv)
Anderes:
Dinosaurier (Disney-Film) ——- Dinosaurierarchivar.
Die Simpsons – Folge “Der geheimnisvolle Bierbaron”
Black Adder ————- The records related episode
Cold Case ———– New TV series pulling out old case files and not
using “Out Cards”!
Die ARD-Krimi-Serie “Adelheid und ihre Mörder”, in der Adelheid in
einigen Folgen der vorletzten Staffel ins “Archiv” strafversetzt wird,
ein schlecht beleuchteter Kellerraum, und dies nutzt, um gleich mehrere
Altfälle aufzuklären. Das “Archiv” ist auch in der letzten Staffel
(gesendet bis Juni 2007) immer wieder leitmotivisch als Arbeitsplatz
vorgekommen.
Nobody?s Business” —– Dokumentaire “genelaogischer” Art ivon Alan
Berliner (1996). Es zeigt Archive in Amerika (Mormonen).
Weiterführende Links:
Die britische Records-Management-Liste
(http://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/lists/RECORDS-MANAGEMENT-UK.html) hat das
Thema “Records Management in Filmen” vor einiger Zeit behandelt, was in
einer ausführlichen Liste resultierte
(http://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/cgi-bin/webadmin?A2=ind0502&L=RECORDS-MANAGEMENT-UK&P=R5126&I=-3
).
Unter der Adresse http://emp.byui.edu/raishm/films/introduction.html
finden Sie eine Liste mit Filmen, hauptsächlich über Bibliotheken in
(amerikanischen) Kinofilmen, aber es wird nicht so genau zwischen Archiv
und Bibliothek unterschieden.
http://www.victoria.tc.ca/~mattison/ficarch/index.htm#fic-archivists
.
Bei der International Movie Database (http://IMDB.com) findet man bei gezielter
Suche auch noch ein paar Treffer:
deutschsprachige Filme:
http://www.imdb.com/find?s=tt&q=Archiv
fremdsprachige Filme:
http://www.imdb.com/find?s=tt&q=Archive
http://www.imdb.com/find?s=kw&q=Archive
Weiteres unter “Archivstereotypen” bei Archivalia:
http://archiv.twoday.net/stories/3452791
