Author: Martin Palúch (Institute of Theatre and Film Research, Centre of Sciences and Arts of the Slovak Academy of Sciences)

Moderator: Martin Kaňuch (Kino-Ikon)

How is new cinematic meaning created from existing archival footage? Film scholar and historian Martin Palúch, together with Martin Kaňuch, editor-in-chief of Kino-Ikon journal, will present the distinctive genre of the compilation documentary, represented in Slovakia by filmmakers such as Paľo Bielik, Ján Kadár, Ctibor Kováč and Rudolf Urc.

They will explore how approaches to film archives have evolved over the decades — from propaganda tools to auteur reflections on history. The discussion will examine the role of editors and directors in reconstructing historical memory and explain why compilation film remains a key medium for understanding Slovak national identity.

Audiences will also gain insight into the aesthetics of montage, the use of found footage, and the process through which fragments of historical film material are transformed into a new cinematic whole.

ART FILM INDUSTRY is financially supported by the Audiovisual Fund