Documenting the world at home and abroad : The Jacques Madvo collection

This thesis draws on the cataloguing and examination of the Madvo Collection at the Liaison of Independent Filmmakers of Toronto (LIFT) as the basis to determine the value of his independent non-fiction films and resolve possible scenarios for their preservation. The collection contains 240 canisters of 16mm non-fiction films and production elements that LIFT intends to use as a resource for found footage films. This raises several concerns for the future of the materials, the most critical of which is the physical destruction of the films. This thesis aims to create a record of Madvo’s oeuvre so that his work can be protected from LIFT’s claim to use it as found footage. It offers different uses for the materials, as well as a broader perspective on the cultural value of the collection, paying particular attention to its importance for the history of amateur films and home movies.