Saving mes aynak follows archaeologist qadir temori as he races against time to save a 5,000yearold buddhist archeological site in afghanistan from imminent demolition. Mes aynak, located in volatile logar province, is comprised of an ancient 500,000 square meter buddhist city on top of an even older bronze age site. Jun 18, 2015 mes aynak, located in afghanistans tabliancontrolled logar province, is a massive 5,000yearold archeological site that also contains buddhist relics that have the potential to rewrite the. It was produced out of kartemquin films, the landmark chicagobased documentary house, along with producer zak piper. Brent huffman is saving mes aynak by brent huffman may 20, 2015 saving mes aynak is a film i believed in so deeply i repeatedly risked my life to.
Saving mes aynak is a 2014 independent documentary film, directed, produced, shot and. This is how we ensure that this irreplaceable ancient buddhist city can be. Nov 04, 2015 looting is happening at mes aynak at night. Saving mes aynak, a documentary by the filmmaker, writer and. Mar 14, 2020 saving mes aynak is definitely worth your watch. The awardwinning film saving mes aynak follows archaeologist qadir temori as he races against time to save a 5,000yearold buddhist archeological site in afghanistan from imminent demolition by a. Initially i thought if mes aynak, and this is still very possible, but if mes aynak was completely destroyed, the documentary, saving mes aynak, is half documenting a. At mes aynak in afghanistan, its because the government turned. Help us bring saving mes aynak around the world, and mount an.
The best documentary filmmaking advice from full frame documentary festival the film follows archaeologist qadir temori as he races against time to save this 5,000yearold buddhist. Film screening of saving mes aynak with introduction by. In search of the lost buddhas with david adams bamiyan valley documentary timeline duration. Saving mes aynak has the unenviable task of making the slow, detailed work of archaeology both visually interesting and narratively appealing. It is a thorough and significant record of chinas terrifying reach across the world for the natural resources and sovereignty of underdeveloped countries.
The copper mining planned there would completely demolish the. Huffman medill northwestern university saving mes aynak is a documentary chronicling the fight to save a 2,000yearold archaeology site in afghanistan threatened by a chinese copper mine. And archaeologists could be permanently forced out of mes aynak at any moment to make way for mining that will completely destroy the 5,000 year old. Mes aynak, a magnificent buddhist city, is the most important archaeological discovery in a generation. Qadir temori and his fellow afghan archaeologists face what seems an impossible battle against the chinese, the taliban and local politics to save their. Apr 22, 2015 initially i thought if mes aynak, and this is still very possible, but if mes aynak was completely destroyed, the documentary, saving mes aynak, is half documenting a visual record of the site and. Huffmans films and videos have gone on to win numerous awards including a. The site contains afghanistans largest copper deposit, as well as the remains of an ancient settlement with over 400 buddha statues, stupas and a. Can a film help save an afghan archeological site before its turned. Saving mes aynak is a 2014 independent documentary film, directed, produced, shot and edited by brent e. Film screening of saving mes aynak with introduction by director, brent e. As 2015 draws to a close, the team behind saving mes aynak is celebrating a successful year of reaching audiences all over the world, raising global awareness about the contentious fate of the mes aynak historic site. Jan 15, 2015 mes aynak, one of afghanistans most important cultural treasures, may be destroyed by the end of 2015.
The awardwinning documentary saving mes aynak was a hit at idfa 2014 and full frame 2015, but more than just a documentary its also harnessing an activist campaign to save this ancient site. This film follows afghan archaeologist qadir temori as he races against time to save a 5,000yearold archaeological site. The story behind chinas longstalled mine in afghanistan. Mes aynak mine is said to be the second largest copper ore body in the world, with the deposit estimated to contain 5. Saving mes aynak saving mes aynak official trailer facebook. Mes aynak, interview with villager, brent huffman saving mes aynak. Help us bring saving mes aynak around the world, and mount an ambitious campaign to halt mes aynaks destruction and preserve it for future generations. Mar 03, 2015 i created saving mes aynak to be a catalyst for change. Timeline world history documentaries recommended for you. Mes aynak was already being looted before 2007 and if there were no archaeology and no prospect of a mine, it seems likely the place would be. Awarded with the international onehour film prize at cinemambiente 2015, member of the green film.
The film will rely on the personal narratives of a diverse array of characters in order to tell a dramatic, multifaceted narrative saving mes aynak will look at the longrange effects of this potential destruction of the environment and priceless cultural heritage, as well as the violation of human rights of local afghans who call mes aynak home. Huffman named president of jury of arkhaios film festival. Back in 2009, few seemed to know about or care about mes aynak, an ancient buddhist city in afghanistan. May 08, 2015 saving mes aynak is a documentary chronicling the fight to save a 2,000yearold archaeology site in afghanistan threatened by a chinese copper mine.
Saving mes aynak is a documentary chronicling the fight to save a 2,000yearold archaeology site in afghanistan threatened by a chinese copper mine. The film also won numerous awards from an enormous number of documentary film organizations. Saving mes aynak, a love letter to afghan people and their culture. I created saving mes aynak to be a catalyst for change. There was no mention of it in a new york times story about a shocking and surreal investment in afghanistan. Saving mes aynak examines the conflict between cultural preservation and economic opportunity through the lens of the afghan archaeologists and local villagers who work and live near mes aynak.
According to huffman, only 10% of the ancient buddhist city has been excavated even though the site has the potential to redefine the history of afghanistan and the history of buddhism itself. Saving mes aynak follows afghan archaeologist qadir temori as he races against time to save a 5000yearold. Saving mes aynak premiered at the international documentary film. By doing so, the archaeology site, as well as the entire mountain range, will be completely.
Huffman fixertranslater najibullah sedeqe post production supervisor ryan gleeson coeditor matt lauterbach consulting editor jim klein edited by brent e. Oct 12, 2016 saving mes aynak follows afghan archaeologist qadir temori as he races against time to save a 5,000yearold archaeological site in afghanistan from imminent demolition. The resulting mine crater threatens to erase several villages and completely destroy the ruins of the mes aynak. Mes aynak, which is 5,000 years old and covers more than 500,000 square meters, is truly one of the unseen wonders of the world. Saving mes aynak follows afghan archaeologist qadir temori as he races against time to save a 5,000yearold archaeological site in afghanistan from imminent demolition. Saving mes aynak has the unenviable task of making the slow, detailed work of archaeology not only visually interesting, but narratively appealing, and at both efforts the film succeeds with apparent ease. Saving mes aynak follows afghan archaeologist qadir temori as he races. This is a film that is optimistic for a better future for afghanistan, a country plagued by over 30 years of perpetual war, yet containing one of. Saving mes aynak examines the conflict between cultural preservation and economic opportunity through the lens. In mes aynak in southeastern afghanistan lie the ruins of a millenniaold buddhist. Saving mes aynak follows afghan archaeologist qadir temori as he. The filmmakers also established a save mes aynak day on july 1, 2015 in order to raise awareness about mes aynak and prevent demolition of the site. Mes aynak, located in afghanistans tabliancontrolled logar province, is a massive 5,000yearold archeological site that also contains buddhist relics that have the potential to rewrite the.
Temori feels that culture is eternal, whereas any copper mine and chinese money would be temporary, eventually leaving afghanistan after destroying mes aynak. Saving mes aynak write a new ending for mes aynak facebook. May 07, 2015 saving mes aynak is a documentary chronicling the fight to save a 2,000yearold archaeology site in afghanistan threatened by a chinese copper mine. Saving mes aynak puts special emphasis on the life of temori, showing his religious activities and recreational times with family. However, since 2015 the schedule for beginning mining has been delayed multiple times. My film saving mes aynak is ready to screen worldwide, and i am mounting a global campaign through the film to raise awareness about the impending demolition, thus creating an international movement to put pressure on the mining company and the afghanistan government. The film was expressly chosen by the jury from a long list of submissions, both domestic and international. The filmmakers of saving mes aynak created a save mes aynak day on july 1, 2015 in efforts to promote the preservation of mes aynak and the film.
My hope is the documentary can actually save mes aynak by rallying international support to stop the destruction of this cultural treasure. Saving mes aynak is tricycles february film club pick, so subscribers can stream the film until february 29, 2020. Archaeologists are being threatened by the taliban daily. Filming of saving mes aynak was completed as the initial deadline for the salvage archaeology project was imminent. Feb 12, 2016 saving mes aynak examines the conflict between cultural preservation and economic opportunity through the lens of the afghan archaeologists and local villagers who work and live near mes aynak. Check out the documentary film, saving mes anyak, directed by brent huffman, at the saving mes aynak website. Film screening of saving mes aynak with introduction by director. The fight to save an ancient buddhist city in afghanistan. Saving mes aynak premiered at the international documentary film festival amsterdam last november and follows archaeologist qadir temori and his fight to save the mes aynak site.
International des programmes audio visuels in biarritz, france in 2015. Saving mes aynak german camera productions documentary. The awardwinning film saving mes aynak follows archaeologist qadir. The awardwinning film saving mes aynak follows archaeologist qadir temori as he races against time to save a 5,000yearold buddhist archeological site. By doing so, the archaeology site as well as the entire mountain range will be completely demolished. Mes aynak or eye of copper in the local dari language is home to an. Saving mes aynak saving mes aynak official trailer. The huge site looms as a potential revenue source for afghanistan, a country deeply in need of economic growth, hectored by years of. It focuses on afghan archaeologist qadir temori and his struggle to save mes aynak, a 5,000yearold archaeological site in afghanistan which faces demolition. Mes aynak, an ancient buddhist city in afghanistan. How a historic buddhist site has eluded destructionfor. Afghan archaeologists have not had the chance to fully explore and analyze mes aynak.
The film s director, brent huffman, met with afghan leaders and presented them with a petition signed by 100,000 people favoring site preservation. Mes aynak, one of afghanistans most important cultural treasures, may be destroyed by the end of 2015. Its probably the last motion picture record of this historic archaeological site in afghanistan. This film follows afghan archaeologist qadir temori as he races against time to save a 5,000yearold archaeological site in afghanistan from imminent demolition. School of the arts is performing its spring musical entirely online. But it is sitting on a vast copper deposit and is about to be destroyed. And archaeologists could be permanently forced out of mes aynak at any moment to make way for mining that will completely destroy the 5,000 year old 500,000 square meter city as well as the environment of mes aynak. The best films of 2015, so far audiences everywhere. Help us bring saving mes aynak around the world, and. Prize at cinemambiente 2015, member of the green film network, the movie tells. Mes aynak near kabul, the capital of afghanistan, is one of the largest copper and gold deposits in the world, located 20 km south of kabul in logar province. Saving mes aynak gives us a clear view of how frustrating the situation is for the workers involved in the film s narrative. The documentary saving mes aynak premiered at the 2014 idfa film festival in amsterdam and in the usa at the 2015 full frame documentary film festival. Aug 30, 2015 mes aynak was already being looted before 2007 and if there were no archaeology and no prospect of a mine, it seems likely the place would be destroyed by looting.
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