Saving Mes Aynak
- Description
- Reviews
- Citation
- Cataloging
- Transcript
If you are not affiliated with a college or university, and are interested in watching this film, please register as an individual and login to rent this film. Already registered? Login to rent this film. This film is also available on our home streaming platform, OVID.tv.
SAVING MES AYNAK follows Afghan archaeologist Qadir Temori as he races against time to save a 5,000-year-old archaeological site in Afghanistan from imminent demolition. A Chinese state-owned mining company is closing in on the ancient site, eager to harvest $100 billion dollars worth of copper buried directly beneath the archaeological ruins. Only 10% of Mes Aynak has been excavated, though, and some believe future discoveries at the site have the potential to redefine the history of Afghanistan and the history of Buddhism itself.
China is investing nearly three billion dollars in Afghanistan's untapped copper reserve, the second largest in the world worth an estimated $100 billion. The cash-strapped government of Afghanistan signed away the rights to this deposit with little oversight. The Chinese government-owned company plans to mine the copper using an open-pit method, the cheapest, most environmentally destructive style of mining. By doing so, the archaeology site, as well as the entire mountain range, will be completely demolished.
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. Qadir Temori and his fellow Afghan archaeologists face what seems an impossible battle against the Chinese, the Taliban and local politics to save their cultural heritage from likely erasure.
'Advocacy filmmaking at its best and most chilling... That rare doc that needs to be seen.' - IndieWire
'SAVING MES AYNAK shows the sheer determination of the Afghan archaeologists to protect their culture against overwhelming odds... Huffman has crafted a remarkable film of courage, heroism, and hope.' - Current World Archaeology Magazine
'SAVING MES AYNAK is an engrossing look at the conflict between cultural preservation and economic opportunity.' - Audiences Everywhere
'A powerful and compelling work from Brent Huffman and Kartemquin Films.' - Chicago is the World
'A call to action that needs immediate attention... This is a movie that demands you at least tweet your congressman after viewing.' - Inside Pulse
'I couldn't help thinking of Indiana Jones as the film depicts archaeologists scraping away in the dust and sand. The film is also well paced, and the images are gripping... What's it going to take for people to care about Mes Aynak? The actual visual of it being obliterated?' - Tom Roston, PBS.org.
'This powerful story sheds light on the significance of cultural heritage.' - Iza Wojciechowska, IndyWeek
Citation
Main credits
Huffman, Brent (film director)
Huffman, Brent (film producer)
Temori, Qadir (narrator)
Zhou, Xiaoli (film producer)
Piper, Zak (film producer)
Other credits
Edited by Brent E. Huffman; music composed by Homayoun Sakhi.
Distributor subjects
Afghanistan; Middle East; Archaeology; Art; Culture; Economics; Environment; Ethics; Geography; History; Middle East Studies; Sustainability; Sustainable Archaeology; ScienceKeywords
WEBVTT
00:00:31.417 --> 00:00:54.999
♪
00:01:18.999 --> 00:01:41.583
♪
00:02:02.083 --> 00:02:15.625
♪
00:02:20.417 --> 00:02:22.500
(police sirens)
00:02:49.250 --> 00:03:42.166
♪
00:04:08.999 --> 00:04:50.999
♪
00:05:31.959 --> 00:05:50.375
♪
00:06:30.875 --> 00:06:59.417
♪
00:07:23.667 --> 00:07:33.999
♪
00:07:46.999 --> 00:08:06.000
♪
00:08:49.208 --> 00:09:19.083
♪
00:09:27.917 --> 00:09:40.166
♪
00:09:43.959 --> 00:10:06.917
♪
00:10:06.917 --> 00:10:10.500
Mes Aynak as a trading center,
would have had people coming
00:10:10.500 --> 00:10:13.291
from China,
from the Mediterranean,
00:10:13.291 --> 00:10:14.709
from south Asia.
00:10:14.709 --> 00:10:16.999
It would have been
a crossroads for everything
00:10:16.999 --> 00:10:19.041
that we know of the old world.
00:10:19.041 --> 00:10:21.709
♪
00:10:21.709 --> 00:10:26.125
Mes Aynak is one of the most
important sites of the century,
00:10:26.125 --> 00:10:31.458
and I\'m involved with research
in south Asia and west Asia,
00:10:31.458 --> 00:10:32.625
I\'ve been working in China.
00:10:32.625 --> 00:10:36.542
And being able to look at
materials from Mes Aynak
00:10:36.542 --> 00:10:38.417
is at the top of the list.
00:10:38.417 --> 00:10:40.166
♪
00:10:40.166 --> 00:10:44.999
Mes Aynak was the earliest
major copper working area.
00:10:44.999 --> 00:10:47.834
There\'s a huge complex
of Buddhist monasteries
00:10:47.834 --> 00:10:50.000
associated with copper working.
00:10:50.000 --> 00:10:51.792
♪
00:10:51.792 --> 00:10:54.875
And there\'s something
on top, too?
00:10:54.875 --> 00:10:57.458
(speaking foreign language)
00:11:02.834 --> 00:11:08.000
♪
00:11:08.000 --> 00:11:10.542
This type of construction is...
00:11:10.542 --> 00:11:12.291
I haven\'t seen this
in Taxila area.
00:11:12.291 --> 00:11:16.999
This is unique
unique to Afghanistan.
00:11:19.000 --> 00:11:23.458
The materials that are coming
from Mes Aynak are exquisite.
00:11:24.375 --> 00:11:26.999
(camera shutter snaps)
00:11:27.166 --> 00:11:31.083
Walking around the site,
I was surprised to see as much
00:11:31.083 --> 00:11:33.999
manufacturing debris
laying around.
00:11:33.999 --> 00:11:37.542
Hm, that\'s a huge
piece of slag.
00:11:38.834 --> 00:11:40.999
Copper prills or
fragments of tuyeres,
00:11:40.999 --> 00:11:44.083
the things that you blast air
into furnaces with.
00:11:44.083 --> 00:11:47.834
Grinding stones that
are used for crushing ore.
00:11:48.542 --> 00:11:49.583
And they were everywhere.
00:11:49.583 --> 00:11:50.709
I mean, there were
so many of them
00:11:50.709 --> 00:11:54.500
that the archaeologists
just leave them on the ground.
00:11:54.500 --> 00:11:58.208
I\'ve never seen wood at a
Buddhist site in Pakistan
00:11:58.208 --> 00:12:00.333
or any other regions.
00:12:00.333 --> 00:12:02.333
This site has preservation
00:12:02.333 --> 00:12:04.999
on a scale that
no other site\'s have.
00:13:18.999 --> 00:14:13.041
♪
00:14:25.583 --> 00:14:32.208
♪
00:14:52.000 --> 00:15:04.999
♪
00:15:13.999 --> 00:15:16.333
(explosion)
00:15:29.959 --> 00:15:32.375
(gunfire, chanting)
00:15:39.333 --> 00:15:41.999
(helicopter blades chopping)
00:15:48.709 --> 00:15:50.999
(gunfire)
00:15:54.875 --> 00:15:57.999
We will be able to remove
10,000 of our troops
00:15:57.999 --> 00:16:00.333
from Afghanistan by
the end of this year.
00:16:00.333 --> 00:16:04.500
And we will bring home
a total of 33,000 troops
00:16:04.500 --> 00:16:05.166
by next summer.
00:16:05.166 --> 00:16:09.083
By 2014, the Afghan
people will be responsible
00:16:09.083 --> 00:16:12.083
for their own security.
00:16:12.083 --> 00:16:16.417
♪
00:18:12.000 --> 00:18:14.667
(metal detector beeping)
00:18:28.375 --> 00:18:30.875
(explosion)
00:18:47.583 --> 00:18:49.999
(gunfire)
00:18:58.166 --> 00:19:07.999
♪
00:19:20.625 --> 00:19:23.208
(speaking foreign language)
00:19:25.709 --> 00:19:27.999
(laughing)
00:19:30.959 --> 00:19:52.750
♪
00:20:03.417 --> 00:20:36.125
♪
00:22:13.417 --> 00:22:30.041
♪
00:23:16.959 --> 00:23:20.000
It\'s very challenging to
try to train all these people
00:23:20.000 --> 00:23:22.625
and to have them do their work.
00:25:30.417 --> 00:25:56.750
♪
00:26:46.208 --> 00:27:08.792
♪
00:27:36.375 --> 00:27:40.458
The mining industry in China
has taken off since the 1970s,
00:27:40.458 --> 00:27:43.834
but regulations to protect
the environment and residents
00:27:43.834 --> 00:27:46.166
from mining pollution
have not kept pace.
00:27:46.166 --> 00:27:49.417
China\'s largest copper producer
is being blamed for water
00:27:49.417 --> 00:27:52.667
pollution that\'s affecting
hundreds of thousands of people.
00:27:52.667 --> 00:27:56.875
Residents there say waste water
from mining activity is flowing
00:27:56.875 --> 00:27:59.917
into a major river
contaminating farm land
00:27:59.917 --> 00:28:04.083
and damaging the
health of locals.
00:28:34.999 --> 00:28:51.999
♪
00:29:59.458 --> 00:30:10.875
♪
00:30:26.125 --> 00:30:31.917
♪
00:31:39.375 --> 00:31:42.917
He\'s saying if people
were happy, well, then...
00:31:43.792 --> 00:31:45.291
He\'s saying please...
00:31:45.291 --> 00:31:50.125
don\'t translate it,
this part that he said.
00:32:11.834 --> 00:32:14.999
Preserving Mes Aynak
is an important gesture
00:32:14.999 --> 00:32:16.083
for Afghanistan.
00:32:16.083 --> 00:32:16.999
It\'s an important gesture
00:32:16.999 --> 00:32:18.291
for all the archaeologists
in the world
00:32:18.291 --> 00:32:21.542
who are concerned with
preserving human culture.
00:32:21.542 --> 00:32:23.583
What\'s happening now in
Mes Aynak is the discovery
00:32:23.583 --> 00:32:26.542
of lots of new information
relating to language.
00:32:26.542 --> 00:32:28.250
They found some new manuscripts.
00:32:28.250 --> 00:32:31.291
Philippe Marquis seems to think
that they will be finding
00:32:31.291 --> 00:32:33.041
a lot more of those.
00:32:53.750 --> 00:32:55.917
There and going there.
00:32:55.917 --> 00:32:57.999
All of this is
going down here.
00:32:57.999 --> 00:32:59.792
We\'re going in
this direction.
00:32:59.792 --> 00:33:01.875
It\'s a little
bit easier.
00:33:01.875 --> 00:33:02.333
Then we have...
00:33:02.333 --> 00:33:05.999
The destruction of Mes Aynak
itself would be like Atlantis
00:33:05.999 --> 00:33:09.291
going into the ocean and
disappearing from history.
00:33:09.291 --> 00:33:11.834
♪
00:33:11.834 --> 00:33:16.291
Really important discoveries
of coins and terracotta images,
00:33:16.291 --> 00:33:18.750
various types of jewelry
and etcetera that was
00:33:18.750 --> 00:33:20.041
deposited as offerings.
00:33:20.041 --> 00:33:24.125
These are the things
which are unparalleled.
00:33:24.125 --> 00:33:43.291
♪
00:35:11.583 --> 00:35:13.667
This is Marek, over.
00:35:13.667 --> 00:35:16.667
They\'re just starting working.
00:35:16.667 --> 00:35:20.041
Yes, okay, roger that.
00:35:27.999 --> 00:35:31.792
Which seems to be
almost impossible.
00:35:31.792 --> 00:35:32.999
In that part
do you have stills?
00:35:32.999 --> 00:35:36.458
Yeah, yeah,
up and around here.
00:36:20.583 --> 00:36:24.417
I have not destroyed
any walls.
00:36:30.291 --> 00:36:31.917
Yeah, yeah, I know.
00:36:31.917 --> 00:36:34.166
So now, we are
at the horizon
00:36:34.166 --> 00:36:37.834
but we can use
the shovel and the trowel.
00:36:46.208 --> 00:36:48.417
Yeah, this is
what I have done.
00:36:48.417 --> 00:36:51.999
Yeah, I take it down
this much at a time.
00:36:51.999 --> 00:36:53.417
I tell--
00:37:23.166 --> 00:37:26.458
This is rescue archaeology,
which means that we are trying
00:37:26.458 --> 00:37:30.166
just to excavate
and to record
00:37:30.166 --> 00:37:33.125
as soon,
as fast as possible.
00:37:33.125 --> 00:37:36.959
That\'s why sometimes it looks
that some bad guys are using
00:37:36.959 --> 00:37:39.999
heavy machinery for excavating.
00:37:39.999 --> 00:37:43.792
I mean, I would be more happy
to excavate according
00:37:43.792 --> 00:37:47.875
to all standards, you know,
recording stratigraphy,
00:37:47.875 --> 00:37:52.999
just digging
using man power,
00:37:52.999 --> 00:37:56.625
but unfortunately
we have no time.
00:38:53.750 --> 00:39:28.959
♪
00:39:51.542 --> 00:40:08.667
♪
00:40:34.500 --> 00:40:45.625
♪
00:43:34.208 --> 00:43:45.625
♪
00:44:16.999 --> 00:44:18.959
(gunfire)
00:44:18.959 --> 00:44:22.875
Well, the attacks started
about 1:30 pm today.
00:44:22.875 --> 00:44:26.041
It was at an intersection
near the US embassy.
00:44:26.041 --> 00:44:29.208
The Taliban have claimed
responsibility for this attack.
00:44:29.208 --> 00:44:35.125
It\'s the third major attack
in Kabul since late June.
00:44:44.625 --> 00:44:46.750
(singing)
00:44:46.750 --> 00:45:24.041
♪
00:45:41.333 --> 00:45:55.500
♪
00:45:57.583 --> 00:46:00.000
(car horns honking)
00:46:08.458 --> 00:46:56.458
♪
00:46:56.458 --> 00:46:58.750
(excited chatter)
00:46:58.750 --> 00:47:16.291
♪
00:47:18.959 --> 00:47:20.625
♪
00:47:26.625 --> 00:47:33.834
♪
00:47:36.917 --> 00:47:44.917
♪
00:48:40.375 --> 00:48:43.375
I just heard on CNN
that the...
00:48:43.375 --> 00:48:47.083
there was an attack on the
Bagram Air Force yesterday,
00:48:47.083 --> 00:48:48.792
and shrapnel hit
one of the planes
00:48:48.792 --> 00:48:49.999
of one of the commanders,
00:48:49.999 --> 00:48:52.834
and some people
were injured on the runway.
00:48:54.375 --> 00:48:57.667
I mean, if you can\'t protect
the Bagram Air Force Base,
00:48:57.667 --> 00:49:01.500
then basically
we\'re in God\'s hands.
00:49:06.000 --> 00:49:08.417
(echo of explosion)
00:49:25.750 --> 00:49:29.458
♪
00:49:38.542 --> 00:49:42.709
♪
00:50:00.875 --> 00:50:05.875
♪
00:50:41.999 --> 00:50:42.999
♪
00:50:42.999 --> 00:50:44.458
Good evening.
00:50:44.458 --> 00:50:46.500
Tonight,
a special investigation.
00:50:46.500 --> 00:50:49.333
The place is called
Mes Aynak.
00:50:49.333 --> 00:50:52.000
(speaking foreign language)
00:50:53.125 --> 00:50:55.999
Each day brings
new, precious finds.
00:50:55.999 --> 00:50:59.000
The site will eventually
be destroyed.
00:51:00.125 --> 00:51:02.959
(protesting in foreign language)
00:51:03.999 --> 00:51:06.750
(speaking foreign language)
00:51:21.999 --> 00:51:26.917
♪
00:51:32.834 --> 00:51:35.291
(flag rustles)
00:52:37.166 --> 00:52:42.208
♪
00:52:45.000 --> 00:53:27.875
♪
00:53:49.333 --> 00:53:51.917
(hammering)
00:54:44.583 --> 00:54:46.999
(wind blowing)
00:56:00.542 --> 00:56:38.041
♪
00:56:42.417 --> 00:57:53.875
♪