This decree-law approves the organisational structure of the Cinemateca Portuguesa-Museu do Cinema, an entity that, since its creation by Decree-Law no. 59/80, had experienced a situation of great statutory imprecision. This legislation establishes the nature and operating regime of the Cinemateca Portuguesa-Museu do Cinema, whose duties include, within the scope of protecting and preserving the heritage related to moving images, not only cinema, but also any and all audiovisual documents, regardless of their medium (including, therefore, video-graphic and digital media).
This policy was amended by Decree-Law no. 59/2010, which created the position of deputy director, who is delegated by the director to manage the new film exhibition centre, the “Casa do Cinema do Porto” and, thus, broadened the effective scope of action of the Cinemateca Portuguesa – Museu do Cinema, I.P. The creation of a new service of that institution in the city of Porto aimed to address the need to broaden the dissemination of cinema exhibitions as sources of knowledge and promotion of cultural values, and to reactivate cinematographic culture in the city of Porto, where there were shortcomings in promotion and access to a programme not limited to the commercial circuit.
Overall, this policy contributes to the valorisation of the protection and conservation of all variants of moving images as sources of knowledge, while also promoting film culture and maintaining specific cultural values associated with cinema.
