The Destruction of Memory
Icarus Films
•
1h 21m
Directed by Tim Slade • Documentary • 2016 • 85 minutes
The bombing of Sarajevo's National Library and the burning of its ancient books. The looting of the Iraqi National Museum and destruction of its priceless historical objects. The beheading of Kahled al-Asaad, long-time lead archaeologist for the UNESCO World Heritage Site of the city of Palmyra, Syria, for refusing to give up hidden artifacts. In the 'cradle of civilization' and beyond, the last century has seen the rise of 'cultural destruction': the intentional annihilation of irreplaceable artwork, artifacts, historical sites and their stewards in desperate attempts to erase collective history and identity. Directed by acclaimed filmmaker Tim Slate and narrated by Tony Award-winning actress Sophie Okonedo, this powerful documentary explores the loss of invaluable artwork, objects and historical sites through war and terrorism. It uses meticulous research and compelling expert interviews to examine how and why cultural destruction has happened, and how the work to protect, salvage and rebuild can respond. THE DESTRUCTION OF MEMORY introduces heroes who have risked their lives to protect not just other human beings, but their cultural identity, safeguarding the record of who we are. But all is not lost: as these stories are reported, perpetrators are brought to justice and awareness grows, the film proposes hope. Increasingly, the power of modern technology is being harnessed to document, protect, and to play a role in the rebuilding process. Distinguished international experts interviewed in THE DESTRUCTION OF MEMORY include Irina Bokova , Director-General of UNESCO; Fatou Bensouda , prosecutor for the International Criminal Court; Gunter Blobel , Nobel Laureate; Bonnie Burnham , President Emerita of the World Monuments Fund; Daniel Libeskind , architect; Dirk Moses ,...
Up Next in Icarus Films
-
The Embassy
Directed by Chris Marker • Drama • 1973 • 21 minutes
One of Chris Marker's few fiction films, THE EMBASSY shows political dissidents seeking refuge in a foreign embassy after a military coup d'état in an unidentified country. Over the next few days, more and more people fleeing the military assa...
-
The Film of Her
Directed by Bill Morrison • Documentary • 1996 • 12 minutes
"Morrison's THE FILM OF HER is based on the story of a Library of Congress clerk who saved a vaultful of paper reels, documenting the earliest days of cinema, from the incinerator. A gorgeous tribute to the art form's origins, this 12-m...
-
The Forgotten Space
Directed by Allan Sekula & Noel Burch • Documentary • 2010 • 112 minutes
The 'forgotten space' of Allan Sekula and Noel Burch's essay film is the sea, the oceans through which 90% of the world's cargo now passes. At the heart of this space is the container box, which, since its invention in ...