# Manipur’s rare 8mm film reels to be digitised in Italy 2026-08-08T07:43:19+00:00 | Entertainment | Indian Opinion Desk Corroboration: 1 independent outlet A collection of 15 rare 8mm celluloid reels from Manipur, shot mostly between the mid-1930s and early 1960s, will be professionally digitised in Bologna, Italy. The Imphal-based S.N. Chand Cine Archive & Museum is collaborating with the Home Movies Foundation-National Family Film Archive for the project, as no facility in India can handle such vintage reels. The footage, captured by Maharaj Kumar Priyabrata Singh and Kongbrailatpam Ibohal Sharma, shows Manipur's native life, cultural traditions like boat races, and landscapes including Loktak Lake. The project was fast-tracked after the archive's principal conservationist, Johnson Rajkumar, attended a film restoration school in Bologna. Digitising the remaining 10 reels depends on funds. ## Coverage - thehindu.com Tags: archives, Cultural heritage, digitisation, film preservation, Italy, Manipur Canonical: https://indianopinion.org/manipurs-rare-8mm-film-reels-to-be-digitised-in-italy/ License: Summary and commentary (c) Indian Opinion, reusable with attribution. Facts belong to the linked sources. Cite: https://indianopinion.org/manipurs-rare-8mm-film-reels-to-be-digitised-in-italy/#story-in-brief Review state: restored archive article, accurate at time of publication, not offered to search indexes.