Saving Mes Aynak


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

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.

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

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.
InstitutionCountryCategoryYear
International Documentary Film Festival AmsterdamNetherlandsOfficial Selection2014
Festival International de Programmes AudiovisuelsFranceOfficial Selection2015
18th International Vera Film FestivalFinlandOfficial Selection2015
Millenium International Documentary Film FestivalBelgiumOfficial Selection2015
Full Frame Documentary Film FestivalUSAOfficial Selection2015
American Documentary Film FestivalUSAOfficial Selection2015
Ahvaz International Science Film FestivalIranBest Director2015
Archaeology Channel International Film and Video FestivalUSABest Film
Best Public Education Value		2015
The International Academic Forum Documentary Film AwardJapanIDFA Honorary Award2015
IAFOR Film Asia 2015 and Media Asia 2015 ConferenceJapanFeatured Documentary2015
CinemAmbiente International Environmental Film FestivalItalyBest Film One-Hour International2015
Arkhaios Archaeology and Cultural Heritage FestivalUSAGrand Prize
Audience Award		2015
Dokufest Republic Of KosovoOfficial Selection2015
International Human Rights Film FestivalAlbaniaOfficial Selection2015
The Oriental Institute at University of ChicagoUSAOfficial Selection2015
Ho Center For Buddhist Studies at Stanford UniversityUSAOfficial Selection2015
Carnegie Endowment For International PeaceUSAOfficial Selection2015
Yale Himalaya InstituteUSAOfficial Selection2015
Náprstek Museum Of Asian, African And American CulturesCzech RepublicOfficial Selection2016
Louvre - Journées Internationales du Film sur L’ArtFranceOfficial Selection2016
Doku.Arts Film Festival: Architecture in MotionGermanyOfficial Selection2015
Gardner Center For Asian Art And Ideas at Seattle Art MuseumUSAOfficial Selection2016
Habib UniversityPakistanOfficial Selection2016
American University of AfghanistanAfghanistanOfficial Selection2016
National Museums of World CultureSwedenOfficial Selection2016
Buddhistdoor - University of Hong KongHong KongOfficial Selection2016
Festival International du Film sur L'Art CanadaOfficial Selection2016
San Francisco Green Film FestivalUSAOfficial Selection2016
Chicago International Film Festival TV AwardsUSASilver Plaque2016
Master of Arts Film FestivalBulgariaSpecial Jury Mention2016
The 37th Telly AwardsUSAFilm/Video Best in Documentary2016
The 37th Telly AwardsUSAPeople's Choice2016
American Conservation Film FestivalUSAGreen Spark Award2016
Life After Oil Film Festival in SardiniaItalyBest Documentary Award2016
AGON - the 10th International Meeting of Archaeological FilmGreeceGrand Prix2016
XVth festival Icronos of BordeauxFranceGrand Prix & Prix du Public2016