Emulsion Ep. 13 - Dave Kehr on Restoration, Preservation, and MoMA's Silent Movie Week

Few people have contributed more to cinema and cinephilia in the last 50 years than Dave Kehr. He’d have some claim to this title solely as a major critical voice, his work remaining currency decades hence––just look at the popular Not Dave Kehr Letterboxd account for a symbol of his enduring prominence. As a film curator at the Museum of Modern Art, however, Kehr has emboldened one of the world’s foremost cinema cultures with year-round programming that combines classic titles with far-flung finds. With the third edition of Silent Movie Week beginning at MoMA on July 30, I had the pleasure of speaking with Dave about their lineup, the major advancements made in digital restoration, a discussion of how exactly one puts together a series like this, and (lest you think this is all about my ego) why a presumption of mine was, in fact, incorrect. Plus: his pick––surprising to some, not to me––for the best film to premiere in recent years.