Saving Mes Aynak

Saving Mes Aynak is a 2014 independent documentary film, directed, produced, shot and edited by Brent E. Huffman.[2] It was produced out of Kartemquin Films, the landmark Chicago-based documentary house, along with producer Zak Piper.[3]

Saving Mes Aynak
Directed byBrent Huffman
Produced byBrent Huffman
Zak Piper
Xiaoli Zhou
CinematographyBrent Huffman
Edited byBrent Huffman, Matt Lauterbach
Music byHomayoun Sakhi
Production
company
German Camera Productions Kartemquin Films
Distributed byIcarus Films (US)
AutLook FilmSales (Int'l)
Release date
  • November 2014 (2014-11) (IDFA)[1]
Running time
58 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
A view of Mes Aynak

It focuses on Afghan archaeologist Qadir Temori and his struggle to save Mes Aynak, a 5,000-year-old archaeological site in Afghanistan which faces demolition.[4] Saving Mes Aynak was the 2014 recipient of a MacArthur Foundation Grant in 2014.

Saving Mes Aynak premiered at the International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam in November 2014.[5] It later aired on Al Jazeera America and Al Jazeera English networks in July 2015 and was also broadcast on multiple other networks in various countries.[4][6] In 2016, Saving Mes Aynak premiered on Netflix.

"Saving Mes Aynak" has won over 30 major awards and has been broadcast on television in over 70 countries. It can currently be seen on Netflix, iTunes, Amazon, Google Play and on Special Edition DVD with Icarus Films. The film was directed by Brent E. Huffman. He was awarded The International Academic Forum Documentary Film Award and Reva and David Logan Foundation Grant in 2015 in part for his work on the film.[7]

Synopsis

Saving Mes Aynak examines the archaeological site of Mes Aynak. Though 90% of the site has yet to be excavated, it is threatened by a Chinese state-owned mining company. The copper mining planned there would completely demolish the archaeological site, as well as the surrounding mountain range. Qadir Temori and other Afghan archaeologists must rally against not only the Chinese government, but also the Taliban and local politics to save the historic site.[8]

Save Mes Aynak Day

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.[9] The film's director, Brent Huffman, met with Afghan leaders and presented them with a petition signed by 100,000 people favoring site preservation.[9] Huffman also provided the leaders with copies of the film.[9]

Awards and festivals

Saving Mes Aynak continues to screen in theaters, museums, universities across the globe—to the Louvre, Museum of World Culture in Sweden, The National Museum of the Czech Republic, the Rubin Museum of Art NYC, Seattle Art Museum — educating the public across the globe on the issues of cultural heritage, struggles and devotion of archaeologists.[10]

Institution Country Category Year
International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam[5] Netherlands Official Selection 2014
Festival International de Programmes Audiovisuels[11] France Official Selection 2015
18th International Vera Film Festival[12] Finland Official Selection 2015
Millenium International Documentary Film Festival[13] Belgium Official Selection 2015
Full Frame Documentary Film Festival[5] USA Official Selection 2015
American Documentary Film Festival[5] USA Official Selection 2015
Ahvaz International Science Film Festival Iran Best Director 2015
Archaeology Channel International Film and Video Festival[14] USA Best Film

Best Public Education Value

 2015
The International Academic Forum Documentary Film Award Japan IDFA Honorary Award 2015
IAFOR Film Asia 2015 and Media Asia 2015 Conference Japan Featured Documentary 2015
CinemAmbiente International Environmental Film Festival Italy Best Film One-Hour International 2015
Arkhaios Archaeology and Cultural Heritage Festival USA Grand Prize

Audience Award

 2015
Dokufest (International Documentary & Short Film Festival) Republic Of Kosovo Official Selection 2015
International Human Rights Film Festival Albania Official Selection 2015
The Oriental Institute at University of Chicago USA Official Selection 2015
Ho Center For Buddhist Studies at Stanford University USA Official Selection 2015
Carnegie Endowment For International Peace USA Official Selection 2015
Yale Himalaya Institute USA Official Selection 2015
Náprstek Museum Of Asian, African And American Cultures Czech Republic Official Selection 2016
Louvre - Journées Internationales du Film sur L’Art France Official Selection 2016
Doku.Arts Film Festival: Architecture in Motion Germany Official Selection 2015
Gardner Center For Asian Art And Ideas at Seattle Art Museum USA Official Selection 2016
Habib University Pakistan Official Selection 2016
American University of Afghanistan Afghanistan Official Selection 2016
National Museums of World Culture Sweden Official Selection 2016
Buddhistdoor - University of Hong Kong Hong Kong Official Selection 2016
Festival International du Film sur L'Art (FIFA) Canada Official Selection 2016
San Francisco Green Film Festival USA Official Selection 2016
Chicago International Film Festival TV Awards USA Silver Plaque 2016
Master of Arts Film Festival Bulgaria Special Jury Mention 2016
The 37th Telly Awards USA Film/Video Best in Documentary 2016
The 37th Telly Awards USA People's Choice 2016
American Conservation Film Festival USA Green Spark Award 2016
Life After Oil Film Festival in Sardinia Italy Best Documentary Award 2016
AGON - the 10th International Meeting of Archaeological Film Greece Grand Prix 2016
XVth festival Icronos of Bordeaux France Grand Prix & Prix du Public 2016

References
  1. "Saving Mes Aynak to world premiere at IDFA 2014".
  2. "News for Saving Mes Aynak". kartemquin.com. Retrieved 2016-01-25.
  3. "The Filmmakers of Saving Mes Aynak". kartemquin.com. Retrieved 2019-03-11.
  4. "Saving Mes Aynak". www.aljazeera.com. Retrieved 2016-01-28.
  5. ""Saving Mes Aynak" Filmmaker Receives $50,000 Grant". Northwestern University. Retrieved 30 January 2016.
  6. "Saving Mes Aynak". Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. Retrieved 2016-01-28.
  7. "The IDFA Honorary Award 2015". IAFOR Documentary Film Award. Retrieved 2016-01-25.
  8. "In 'Saving Mes Aynak,' a real-life Indiana Jones fights to protect Afghanistan's Buddhist heritage". PBS NewsHour. 19 November 2014. Retrieved 2016-01-28.
  9. Mosendz, Polly (July 1, 2015). "5,000-Year-Old Afghan Historic Site Under Threat From Chinese Mining Company". Newsweek. Retrieved January 30, 2016.
  10. "Awards & Distinctions". Saving Mes Aynak. Retrieved 2016-07-26.
  11. "FIPA to host French Premiere of Saving Mes Aynak". Retrieved 30 January 2016.
  12. "INTERNATIONAL VERA FILM FESTIVAL". Retrieved July 26, 2016.
  13. "MILLENIUM INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL". Retrieved July 26, 2016.
  14. "THE ARCHAEOLOGY CHANNEL INTERNATIONAL FILM AND VIDEO FESTIVAL". Retrieved July 26, 2016.

Further reading
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