Richard MISEK
AP
A montage of some of the last century¡¯s most iconic images forms the basis of an investigation into the power that commercial image archives hold over our shared cultural memory, and an attempt to reclaim a few fragments of their collections from corporate control.
Getty Images is the world's largest commercial image company. At least $41,000 must be paid to Getty Images for various 4-min videos of the modern society. Countless images in the public domain can also be sold on Getty Images in various ways, and even under the condition that they are generally made public only through this company, the above cost is the minimum cost for 4 minutes of the modern society. However, the purpose of this film is not limited to the expansion of knowledge or the accusation of monopoly. The directors no longer leave the world history made by Getty Images up to Getty Images by releasing the images used in this film as well as the film without applying any copyrights. These shared images can be used anywhere. The film is completed through this act of sharing. Therefore, at the end of this film, the title should be rewritten as ¡°A World History Liberated from Getty Images¡±.
Richard MISEK
Richard Misek is a filmmaker and Associate Professor in Film and Media Arts at the University of Bergen in Norway. His nonfiction work has screened at festivals including Sundance, IDFA, CPH:DOX, and Rotterdam, and at venues including the National Museum of Art (Washington D.C.), the Barbican Centre and BFI Southbank (London), Eye Filmmuseum (Amsterdam), and Forum des images (Paris). His research focuses on digital inclusion, and he is currently leading a UK Arts and Humanities Research Council project entitled Digital Access to Arts and Culture Beyond COVID-19¡¯.