In 2006, a joint Georgian-German archaeological expedition led by Irina Ghambashidze and Thomas Stoellner, working in southeastern Georgia near Armenia and Azerbaijan, discovered a 5500 year-old gold mine. Because it was considered the oldest gold mine known in the world, scientists from various countries flocked to Sakdrisi-Khachaghiani Hill to visit the site. As the discovery gained notoriety, it also attracted the interest of one of the largest enterprises in the Georgia and Caucasus region engaged in mining activities, RMG-Gold. After a two-year battle between the government and the scientists, the archaeologists were replaced by tractors. Secrets of Sakdrisi tells the story of the sensational discovery, the battle between politics and science, and the world of ancient Georgia 5500 years ago.
Screening time: Saturday, May 5 at 4:43PM
Length: 47 min.
Country: Georgia
Language: Georgian w/English Subtitles
Director: Toma Chagelishvili
Producer: Giorgi Chaduneli
Distributor: Toma Chagelishvili
Cane Notch, an archaeological site nestled alongside the scenic Nolichucky River of North Carolina and Tennessee, may hold the key to a missing link in Cherokee history. Join explorers from East Tennessee State University, using modern-day technology to see beneath the land’s surface, as they uncover a buried Native American village in Upper East Tennessee. The perfectly preserved Cherokee village has been dubbed “a mini-Pompeii” by archaeological experts. Discover the mysterious link between this village and the Spanish explorer, Juan Pardo. Hear Cherokee archaeologists explain the cultural significance of this find and archaeology’s importance to Native American peoples. Follow the team’s progress as they discover ancient artifacts and unlock the Secrets of the Nolichucky River.
Screening time: Saturday, May 5 at 2:45PM
Length: 58 min.
Country: USA
Language: English
Director: Buck Kahler
Producer: Debra Dylan
Distributor: Debra Dylan
An extraordinary journey leads you to discover the milestones that marked the path taken by humanity from biology to civilizations. Carlota, as many young people nowadays, does not know what to do with her future. Keep studying? What for? Her uncle, Luis, fulfills an old promise and invites her to join in his next adventure with the famous archaeologist, Eudald Carbonell. The trio make an extraordinary journey to the past, traveling to four continents searching for the keys that will open the doors of the future to the people of Earth.
Screening time: Sunday, May 6 at 10:17AM
Length: 62 min
Country: Spain
Language: Spanish w/English Subtitles, English
Director: Alfonso Par/Luis Quevedo
Producer: Alfonso Par/Luis Quevedo
Distributor: Alfonso Par/Luis Quevedo
Distributor Web site: http://turkanafilms.com
Savages in Foreign Lands is a feature documentary about the lost civilization of the Guanches, the aboriginals of the Canary Islands. Many legends surround these people, from the descendants of Atlantis, to the opponents of the Roman Empire left on the islands as prisoners, or mysterious pyramid builders. Living far from the continent and isolated from the rest of the world, the Guanches believed they were the only survivors of a terrible natural catastrophe that had wiped out the entire human race. Until six hundred years ago, when some Spanish sailors first stepped on the Canary Islands. More than 2500 years separated the two cultures. Savages in Foreign Lands reveals the untold story of this society, lost in the Atlantic ocean in the pre-Columbian times. An unprecedented quest for truth and identity, but also a story of survival, legacy, conquest and recognition.
Screening time: Sunday, May 6 at 5:24PM
Length: 56 min
Country: United Kingdom
Language: English/Spanish w/English Subtitles
Director: Raphael Biss
Producer: Raphael Biss
Producer Web site: https://www.zed.fr/en/
Distributor: ZED
Distributor Web site: https://www.zed.fr/en/
To discover the hidden history of the songs he loved as a child after his escape from Iraq, Majid Shokor travels from Australia to Israel, Europe and Iraq to meet exiled Iraqi musicians—Jewish, Muslim and Christian—who still sing and play these songs that were purged from Iraq during the regime of Saddam Hussein. The aging musicians reunite in a joyful concert at London’s Barbican Centre, where music and culture are bridges that transcend religion and politics.
Screening time: Saturday, May 5 at 1:16PM
Length: 81 min
Country: Australia
Language: English and Arabic with English Subtitles
Director: Marsha Emerman
Producer: Marsha Emerman
Producer Web site: http://www.fruitfulfilms.com.au
Distributor: 7th Art Releasing/Ronin Films
Distributor Web site: http://www.fruitfulfilms.com.au
When the artist becomes a real and loving entity, and when an audience begins to empathize with the performer, true appreciation begins. This opens several doors for the survival and propagation of an art form, and the artist can thrive. This is a film that explores the lifestyle and life stories of different folk artists from Rajasthan in northern India. It relates memories and anecdotes associated with John Singh, the man who helped these artists explore the world of music on various national and international platforms and go beyond the boundaries of their regional performing space.
Screening time: Friday, May 4 at 9:16PM
Length: 46 min
Country: India
Language: Indian w/ English Subtitles
Director: Suruchi Sharma
Producer: Jane Himmeth Singh
Distributor: Jane Himmeth Singh
Young First Nations Canadian director Eden Mallina Awashish struggles to understand why her grandmother refuses to allow her to shoot a film about moccasins. Her failed attempt in this short film turns into a playful deconstruction of cultural loss and a record of the resolve to protect the native Atikamekw tradition of Quebec. Eden made this film to shine a spotlight on the Atikamekw nation and its issues.
Screening time: Saturday, May 5 at 5:38PM
Length: 5 min.
Country: Canada
Language: French w/ English Subtitles
Director: Eden Mallina Awashish
Producer: Wapikoni
Distributor: Wapikoni
Distributor Web site: http://wapikoni.ca
New rock art designs w ere discovered recently around the Rock Art Archaeological Park of Campo Lameiro (PAAR), in the area of “Outeiro da Chan da Isca,” in Spain. The Galician Heritage Council conducted fieldwork on them in order to analyze and register the panel, record the presence of more panels around that vicinity and include them in the PAAR. An interesting fact of this field project is that it put into practice a series of procedures for the archaeological work, such as research and documentation, excavation, and field inspection, and supported its recognition as a valuable resource.
Screening time: Saturday, May 5 at 1:00PM
Length: 16 min.
Country: Spain
Language: Galician w/ English Subtitles
Director: Lukas Santiago
Producer: Lukas Santiago
Distributor: Lukas Santiago
The Kingdom of Urartu (860-590 BC) in modern-day Armenia inherited the cosmic secrets of the ancestors, who had ideas about the Universe with roots in ancient times. Not only were they able to follow the paths of the Sun and Moon, but also the planets, stars and constellations. These secrets and cosmic calculations were passed down and recorded on belts, helmets and ceramic vessels used for rituals.
Screening time: Sunday, May 6 at 4:27PM
Length: 28 min.
Country: Armenia
Language: Armenian w/ English Subtitles
Director: Lilit Mkhitaryan
Producer: Lilit Mkhitaryan
Distributor: Lilit Mkhitaryan
Tasiro is a wood carver who expertly creates traditional sculptures, which represent the Solomon Islands culture and reflect the natural beauty of the environment that surrounds him. Dedicated to his craft, Tasiro uses carving as a means of supporting his family. Set in an island paradise and narrated exclusively in the Marovo language, this is a gentle and uplifting story, told by Tasiro himself, that takes you deep into the World Heritage listed Marovo Lagoon. It captures an almost surreal moment in time as the past, present and future come together.
Screening time: Sunday, May 6 at 4:12PM
Length: 15 min.
Country: Solomon Island
Language: Marovo w/ English Subtitles
Director: Elliot Spencer
Producer: Elliot Spencer
Producer Web site: https://www.elliotspencer.com
Distributor: Elliot Spencer
This is an endeavor to showcase the grandeur of Ambajogai city in Maharashtra, India. This city was the center of cultural developments around the 10th and 11th centuries. Seven inscriptions have come to light in the vicinity; they refer to the town structure and the cultural heritage of the region. Today, many temples and wadas (traditional mansions) are still standing and reflecting the richness of ancient architecture, which can be a good subject for research. In Manohar Ambanagari a unique amalgamation of visuals and music takes you through a journey of beautiful art and nature at a time when people in India have moved from the old to the new lifestyle.
Screening time: Saturday, May 5 at 12:30PM
Length: 14 min.
Country: India
Language: No Dialogue
Director: Rahul Narwane
Producer: Rahul Narwane
Distributor: Rahul Narwane, C/O Komalapuri Rajulu