The Library of Congress is adding a few new titles that we love to the National Film Registry.
Spike Lee’s She’s Gotta Have It and Purple Rain will be added to the archive along with other films, including Amadeus, Clerks, Coal Miner’s Daughter, Sleeping Beauty, Boys Don’t Cry, and The Last Waltz.
Of the films selected, seven are directed by women, including Madeline Anderson’s I Am Somebody, a project considered the first documentary on civil rights directed by a woman.
Criteria for selection requires that the films are “culturally, historically or aesthetically” significant, and a place on the list means films will be preserved under the National Film Preservation Act.
Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden told Variety, “The National Film Registry has become an important record of American history, culture and creativity.”
“Unlike many other honors, the registry is not restricted to a time, place or genre. It encompasses 130 years of the full American cinematic experience–a virtual Olympiad of motion pictures. With the support of Congress, the studios and other archives, we are ensuring that the nation’s cinematic history will be around for generations to come.”