Oleksandr Makhanets
historian, researcher at the Center for Urban History. The research interests include media history, digital archives, photography, cinema, amateur film practices, digital humanities, social history, and visual studies. Oleksandr is the one of the authors of the online-course “Amateur Film-Making: History of Visual Modes and Creative Practices”.
Amateur film is a phenomenon directly related to the technology of small-format shooting. It dates back to the end of the 19th century, but it acquired a mass character in the middle and second half of the 20th century. For many, filmmaking has become a means of creative self-expression, a tool for remembering and capturing important events in life, as well as an opportunity for leisure and interaction between people. Kilometers of film shot by amateur filmmakers still remain unreviewed due to the decline of technology and the private nature of filming. The legacy of amateur filmmakers is a huge layer of visual sources that witnessed the past from the perspective of a...