Beyond Theory – Interview with Aap Tepper by Viktorija Gardoviča

The Film Archives of the National Archives of Estonia is undergoing a digital transformation to improve the preservation, accessibility, and management of Estonia’s audiovisual heritage. This includes digitising film collections, modernizing archival systems, and ensuring the long-term sustainability of Estonia’s cinematic history in a digital format. Can you tell us more about the current state of digital transformation in the Film Archives of the National Archives of Estonia?

Similarly to other film archives, we are in the process of digitising our collections to ensure their long-term preservation and accessibility. As this process continues, we are making significant strides toward providing easier access to our collections by modernising our workflows and developing our databases and VOD platform arkaader.ee to be more user-friendly, topically curated, and educational.

As a key figure in the digitisation process at the Film Archives of the National Archives of Estonia, you face many technical complexities of digitising the historical documents and preserving them. So, what are the main challenges you face in the digitisation process of films, photos, sound, and audiovisual documents?

Our main challenges lie in the condition of the materials to be digitised, and the range of both outdated and modern technologies required for the digitisation process. Film scanners rely on continued support from their manufacturers, while magnetic-based audio and video players require ongoing refurbishment, as they are no longer being produced. Camera-based digitisation solutions for 2D objects are agile and relatively easy to modernise, but they still require continuous care and innovation to optimise workflows. Each medium presents its own challenges, and for us, it is essential to follow current standards and stay up to date with the latest technologies and digitisation practices in the field—while also being patient and approaching innovative technologies with caution, in order to use our resources wisely. Additionally, we would benefit greatly from a dedicated media management system, as most of our current digital workflows are still based on Windows Explorer.

Authenticity and integrity of historical documents are important to every person working in archival field because we cannot change it too much or else we have created a whole new document. How do you ensure the authenticity and integrity of digital copies compared to their original analog versions?

Digitisation is, by its nature, is a form of representation rather than a replica. The analogue original remains the primary source. It is therefore essential that digitisation is carried out transparently and with minimal digital alteration. In our work with photographs, sound, and video, we strive to use methods that allow for faithful digital representations of the source material. By applying calibration tools, targets, and archival colour profiles, we are able to better understand and observe the nuances of this representational process.

In the field of film digitisation, however, the equipment used often functions as a black box, and proprietary profiles are treated as trade secrets. During digital restoration, we adhere to FIAF’s ethical guidelines, thoroughly research the history of each film, and use automated processes sparingly to minimise digital artefacts and preserve the film’s original character. Once digitised, the files are securely stored on our servers and LTO’s.

While working with historical documents, archivists face ethical dilemmas like need to protect personal privacy, especially when documents contain sensitive information, copyright laws and other. What other ethical considerations do you take into an account when digitising and making archival materials accessible to the public?

Each collection is managed according to its rights status, as defined by contracts and copyright law, with access granted accordingly, and in full compliance with the Personal Data Protection Act.

As said before, archivists face needs to protect personal information that can be sensitive. How do you oversee sensitive or personal information found in archival materials during the digitisation process?

The digitisation process is carried out either within the archives or in a secure location where the materials are managed with appropriate privacy. As mentioned above, sensitive, or private information is restricted in accordance with applicable legislation.

All the Baltic region countries have had similar history and similar starting point in implementing digital transformation to preserve cultural heritage to make it more accessible to population of Baltic region. Can you discuss the impact of digital transformation on the preservation of cultural heritage in Estonia and the broader Baltic region?

Providing virtual access to our collections is essential, as the majority of public engagement takes place online. For much of the wider public, if a material is not digitised, it effectively does not exist. The availability and saturation of visual materials is particularly important, as access to a diverse range of sources related to specific topics offers the public a more accurate and nuanced understanding of historical events and themes. The Baltic countries share a common history, and it is important to contextualise digitised collections through a contemporary lens, while being transparent about the provenance of the materials, to foster a more critical and informed understanding of the past.

As mentioned before, copyright laws are one of the dilemmas the archivist face because the historical documents are important for educating the newer generation but at the same time it is authors intellectual property. How do you balance the need for public access to digital archives with the protection of intellectual property rights?

Intellectual property and personal data must be protected, but I also believe that archives should be more generous with materials for which rights have expired or that are in the public domain. Archives need to be access-oriented, and I am encouraged to see that we are moving in that direction. Accessibility is not limited to viewing or downloading images online, every person working in the archives should adopt a mindset of actively communicating and sharing the collections with the public through diverse and engaging means.

You had an exhibition Digital Dark Age organized by Riga Photography Biennial – NEXT 2021, that was viewable in the Latvian Museum of Photography, that explored the themes of digital preservation, memory, and the potential risks of losing access to digital content over time, showing your view on processes as a photographer. So, in what ways has your background in photography influenced your approach to digitisation and archival work?

My education in the Photography Department at the Estonian Academy of Arts, combined with my interest in history, has provided a solid foundation for continuing my artistic practice alongside my work in the archive. While separated, artistic and archival work complement each other, helping me to approach archiving from a critical perspective. Being able to engage with digitisation as a cultural practice of representation, and having the visual literacy to interpret archival images, allows me to approach collections with both awareness and creativity, resulting in projects that are both artistic and didactic in nature.

Technology is constantly evolving, and it seems won’t stop in foreseeable future. Archives as place that must preserve documents that are important for country, need to find a way to accommodate these changes and constantly keep progressing with them, so nothing gets lost. What role do you see for emerging technologies, such as AI and machine learning, in the future of digital archiving?

AI has been a hot topic for several years now. While there are precedents where it has proven useful in archival work, in my experience, implementing it often demands more resources than archives can realistically provide. However, as large models continue to improve and become more widely available, they are likely to find successful applications in archival and research contexts. At the same time, it is crucial to remain aware of the biases embedded in algorithms. I think of AI like a description of a photograph—each person might describe the same image differently, even when striving for objectivity. While describing technical aspects can be taught and standardised, contextual descriptions are shaped by individual perspectives and biases. For this reason, archives must approach the implementation of new forms of AI with caution and consideration.

Last but not least, Baltic region countries have been working together to reflect a shared commitment to preserving the rich history and culture of the Baltic region through modern digital practices, through different projects like The Baltic Audiovisual Archiving Cooperation (BAAC), Digital Preservation of Cultural Heritage (EURNET) and others. How do you envision the future of audiovisual archives in the Baltic region in the context of ongoing digital transformation and ethical challenges?

I believe that sharing case studies and best practices is essential. Archives facing similar challenges should have streamlined channels of communication to help fast-track solutions for common issues. While the Baltic region shares many perspectives and concerns, digitisation is a global topic that extends beyond regional borders. That is why participating in international networks, conferences, and workshops is equally important.

Aap Tepper works as the head of Digitisation department at Film Archives of the National Archives of Estonia, where he oversees the digitisation process of films, photo, sound, and audiovisual documents. Aap has a background in photography, and prior to leading the digitisation department, he managed large-scale photo digitisation projects that involved numerous Estonian institutions. He is a graduate of the Estonian Academy of Arts Master’s program in Photography and is also a visual artist. His artistic work explores the intersections of memory, space, and photographic representation. Utilising personal images as well as pictures sourced from social media or archives, his work often takes the form of site-specific installations.