Robert “Bob” Rosen, known for his dedication to archiving media and inspiring young filmmakers, passed away this week on Wednesday, October 2nd, per The Hollywood Reporter.
Rosen, born in 1940, began serving as director of archives at UCLA in 1975, where he expanded the school’s film and media archive to become the largest university-based media archive in the world. Rosen began teaching courses in UCLA’s Film and Television department, with his interest stemming from a desire to “Understand motion pictures and teach filmmakers,” a cause which “was to become my life’s goal. I served as professor, then department chair, and finally for 11 years as dean of the school,” Rosen stated in 2012 at the 68th International Federation of Film Archives Congress in Beijing.
In 2008 Robert Rosen received the John Huston Award from Martin Scorsese, The Film Foundation’s founder, an achievement outlining Rosen’s passion in the field of film restoration and archive. That same year, Rosen spoke with the Associated Press about the importance of classic film in driving new ideas: “When you look at films from the past, you see the many different ways that filmmakers solve storytelling problems, and you break with formulas because you realize there are many ways to solve a problem. By looking at the past, you get the courage to find your own voice.” By breaking down modern filmmaking conventions, Rosen used classic film as a transformative medium.
Aside from his career at UCLA, Rosen was the American Film Institute’s founding director for the National Center for Film and Video Preservation. He served on the executive committee of the International Federation of Film Archives. He also served as a board member on the Library of Congress’s National Film Preservation, the Stanford Theatre Foundation, and the Geffen Playhouse. Additionally, he worked as a film critic at KCRW National Public Radio for a decade and as a member of the Los Angeles Film Critics Association.
May Hong HaDuong, director of the UCLA Film & Television Archive, referred to Rosen as “A titan of the film community… championing training and advocating for the preservation of moving image media in all forms, from classic Hollywood to independent productions.” Robert Rosen’s commitment to archival practices and film study transformed not only UCLA, but the world of film history at large.
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