
The exclusive thrill fades, however, if we equate exclusivity with moral clarity. If the point is to honor cinema’s past, exclusivity must eventually yield to stewardship—transparent restoration, proper credit, fair remuneration when possible, and an infrastructure that respects both creators and audiences. That infrastructure won’t feel as anarchic or immediate as a late-night download, but it offers a different kind of intimacy: the slow work of bringing a damaged print back to its light and making it available without the moral cost of erasure.