Each year, a total of 25 films are added to the National Film Registry for posterity and preservation (as either a copy or the original version, if preserved) at the Library of Congress. In 2022, films such as The Little Mermaid, Iron Man, When Harry Met Sally and Carrie were chosen to be part of this selection.
The initiative that has been around since 1988 and is decided by popular vote. In this edition, the public nominated a total of 6,865 films, and 25 were selected to be added to the National Film Registry. Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden said the films were chosen "for their cultural, historic or aesthetic importance to preserve the nation’s film heritage." As such, the chosen films "include a vibrant diversity of American filmmakers, as well as landmark works in key genres and numerous documentaries".
Cinema key to the country's history
The oldest film that was selected this year is Mardi Gras Carnival, which dates back to 1898. This feature film was thought to be lost but was recently found in a museum in the Netherlands. This film alone exemplifies what Carla Hayden stated in her press release, that films are key to telling the country's story:
Films have become absolutely central to American culture by helping tell our national story for more than 125 years. We are proud to add 25 more films by a group of vibrant and diverse filmmakers to the National Film Registry as we preserve our cinematic heritage. We’re grateful to the entire film community for collaborating with the Library of Congress to ensure these films are preserved for the future.
Producers, directors and cast members alike reacted to the news. The first of these was Kevin Feige, the president of Marvel Studios. He pointed out that Iron Man, one of the selected films, was the film that kicked off the new era of Marvel:
Iron Man was the very first film Marvel Studios independently produced. It was the first film that we had all of the creative control and oversight on and it was really make or break for the studio. All of our favorite movies are the ones that we watch over and over again and that we grow up with. The notion that here we are, almost 15 years after the release of Iron Man, and to have it join the Film Registry tells us it has stood the test of time and that it is still meaningful to audiences around the world.
Billy Crystal, the protagonist of When Harry Met Sally, also spoke to The Washington Post about what it means to have his film enter the National Film Registry: "My initial reaction was, ‘What took so long?’ In some way I thought, ‘Wait, isn’t it in already?’ I mean, it’s a lovely thing".
Hispanic representation
Latin America is also represented in the selection to be preserved at the Library of Congress.
First is a movie made by several Hispanics, 1982's The Ballad of Gregorio Cortez. According to Infobae, the film was proposed for the honor last year by several members of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, and this year they succeeded.
Another notable example of Hispanic representation on the list is Cyrano de Bergerac. Thanks to this American film released in 1950, actor José Ferrer became the first Hispanic actor to win the Oscar for best actor in 1951.
The 25 selected films in 2022
- Mardi Gras Carnival (1898)
- Cab Calloway Home Movies (1948-1951)
- Cyrano de Bergerac (1950)
- Charade (1963)
- Scorpio Rising (1963)
- Behind Every Good Man (1967)
- Titicut Follies (1967)
- Mingus (1968)
- Manzanar (1971)
- Betty Tells Her Story (1972)
- Super Fly (1972)
- Attica (1974)
- Carrie (1976)
- Union Maids (1976)
- Word is Out: Stories of Our Lives (1977)
- Bush Mama (1979)
- The Ballad of Gregorio Cortez (1982)
- Itam Hakim, Hopiit (1984)
- Hairspray (1988)
- The Little Mermaid (1989)
- Tongues Untied (1989)
- When Harry Met Sally (1989)
- House Party (1990)
- Iron Man (2008)
- Pariah (2011)
Voting is now open for next year's selection
The Library of Congress has already opened the public vote for the National Film Registry in 2023. The public has the opportunity to submit nominations on the Library's website until August 15, 2023. After that, whoever wishes to do so can cast their vote using the following link.
