Watch the first episode of Talking Archives 2, the 2nd edition of our online interview series, produced by A/CA researchers, Monika Kin Gagnon and Elina Lex, featuring conversations with filmmakers, archivists, and researchers who presented at the 2024 Global Audiovisual Archiving Conference in Toronto in July 2024.

This episode features Chantal Partamian in conversation with Monika. Chantal is an experimental filmmaker and archivist. Her work uses mainly super 8mm and found footage. Her archival activities are centered on the preservation and restoration of reels from the Eastern Mediterranean, associated with research focused on archival practices in conflict regions. Partamian's films have been presented and awarded at numerous festivals. They are distributed by Vidéographe, Groupe intervention Vidéo (GIV) and the Canadian filmmakers distribution center (CFMDC).

The episode was originally recorded on March 23, 2024. We recognize the unsettling time disjunction this conversation may create with its release on Oct 15: the genocidal war in Gaza has just surpassed 365 days, and Israel commenced military bombardment of Beirut, Lebanon. We hope that our conversation can still resonate within the horrors of our present moment.

Archive/Counter-Archive is dedicated to activating and remediating audiovisual archives created by Indigenous Peoples (First Nations, Métis, Inuit), the Black community and People of Colour, womxn, LGBT2Q+ and immigrant communities. Political, resistant, and community-based, counter-archives disrupt conventional narratives and enrich our histories.

Video Editor: Elina Lex

Please consult the weblinks below for Chantal’s references:

https://www.chantalpartamian.com/

https://www.youtube.com/@KatsakhMediterraneanArchives/videos