Imphal, Aug. 8 -- Rare 8mm film reels from 1930s Manipur, featuring early documentation of local life, are being sent to Italy for professional restoration and digitisation.

This collaborative initiative, led by the SN Chand Cine Archive & Museum (SNCCAM) and the Home Movies Foundation in Bologna, Italy, aims to preserve endangered footage shot by pioneers Maharaj Kumar Priyabrata Singh and Kongbrailatpam Ibohal Sharma.

The project seeks to preserve this significant cultural history to international standards following training received by SNCCAM's Johnson Rajkumar.

Fifteen fragile 8mm celluloid reels containing rare footage of Manipur will undergo professional inspection, cataloguing and digital preservation in Italy. The internationa...