Saving mes aynak
Producer
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. 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.
Produced by
Brent Huffman, Xiaoli Zhou, and Zak Piper
Directed by
Brent Huffman
Distinctions
2014 International Documentary Film Festival of Amsterdam (IDFA) World Premiere
WINNER 2015 Arkhaios Cultural Heritage and Archaeology Film Festival, Grand Prize
WINNER 2015 Arkhaios Cultural Heritage and Archaeology Film Festival, Audience Award
WINNER 2015 The Archaeology Channel International Film & Video Festival, Best Film
WINNER 2015 The Archaeology Channel International Film & Video Festival , Best Public Education Value
WINNER 2015 Iafor Documentary Film Award
WINNER 2015 Cinemabiente Environmental Film Festival, Best Documentary International
WINNER 2015 Association for Asian Studies Expo, Best Director
WINNER 2016 Icronos Film Festival, Grand Prize
WINNER 2016 Icronos Film Festival, Audience Award
WINNER 2016 Chicago International Film Festival, Silver Plaque, Best Documentary
WINNER 2016 American Conservation Film Festival, Green Spark Award
WINNER 2016 Agon International Meeting of Archeological Film, Grand Prize
WINNER 2016 International Archaeological Film Festival of the Bidasoa, Jury Grand Prize
WINNER 2016 International Archaeological Film Festival of the Bidasoa, Audience Award
WINNER 2017 Buddha International Film Festival, Best Direction
HONORABLE MENTION 2015 The Archaeology Channel International Film & Video Festival by Jury for Inspiration