sometimes a great notion ( a.k.a. never give a inch ) is a 1970 american drama film directed by paul newman and starring newman , henry fonda , michael sarrazin and lee remick .

the cast also includes richard jaeckel in an academy award-nominated performance .

the screenplay by john gay is based on the 1964 novel of the same title by ken kesey , the first of his books to be adapted for the screen .

filmed in the summer of 1970 , it was released that new year 's eve .

sometimes a great notion ( film )

the 1971 film “sometimes a great notion” remains a cult classic in the pacific northwest .
sometimes a great notion essays are academic essays for citation . these papers were written primarily by students and provide critical analysis of sometimes a great notion by ken kesey .
sometimes a great notion
is the other oregon movie made from a ken kesey novel .
sometimes a great notion $ 19 . 97 ( blu - ray ) , shout ! factory
the big o saloon boasts a full bar and is a great setting to watch “sometimes a great notion , ” a film about logging , thursday , feb . 26 .
the question and answer section for sometimes a great notion is a great resource to ask questions , find answers , and discuss the novel .
to ask other readers questions about sometimes a great movie , please sign up .
paul newman and his wife , joanne woodward , enjoy themselves at the wrap party for the filming of “sometimes a great notion . ”
paul newman with a chainsaw on location in the woods near agate beach . this was during the filming of
sometimes a great notion .
washington release ( jan . 2014 ) sometimes a great movie : paul newman , ken kesey and the filming of the great oregon novel
newman took over direction of
sometimes a great notion ,
which is based on a 1964 ken kesey novel . jaeckel richly deserved his oscar nomination .
with its breathtaking scenery , naturalistic acting and compelling story — not to mention its fascinating depiction of the logging industry —
sometimes a great notion
( 1971 ) falls a mere peg or two short of being a truly great film .
sometimes a great notion study guide contains a biography of ken kesey , literature essays , quiz questions , major themes , characters , and a full summary and analysis .
writers on the edge , inc . : sometimes a great party—the lincoln county filming of a ken kesey novel
sometimes a great notion began shooting on 22 june 1970 , with richard a . colla as director . after five weeks of filming , as noted in a 23 july 1970
yet another piece of evidence comes from the mpaa , who ' s database indicates that sometimes a great notion received its [ gp ] rating in 1971 and was given certificate number 22982 . comparing again , dirty harry received its rating in 1971 with certificate number 23049 , not long after sometimes a great notion .
so invested am i in the belief that sometimes a great notion would make an excellent mini series that i have gone to the trouble of assembling a dream cast .
thirty - five years ago , hollywood came to this small lincoln county town to film scenes for
sometimes a great notion ,
ken kesey ' s novel about an oregon logging clan .
we’d love your help . let us know what’s wrong with this preview of sometimes a great movie by matt love .
“sometimes a great notion , ” adapted from ken keseyþäôs epic novel about a defiant family of loggers , starred paul newman and was filmed on the central oregon coast during the summer of 1970 .
that’s the plot of sometimes a great notion . there’s logging , the union , bar fights , prostitutes , and death . but the real story is three generations of sexual obsession .
nestucca spit press announces the release of sometimes a great movie : paul newman , ken kesey and the filming of the great oregon novel , by oregon author matt love .
sometimes a great notion is a good , if plot - sprawling , outdoor action film set in northwest lumber country , about a family of individualists fighting a town and a union . paul newman directed , produced , and stars as the crown prince to family patriarch henry fonda .
after the publication of sometimes a great notion , kesey’s literary efforts fell off for a number of years . the 1964 trip to new york in the further bus to celebrate the publication of notion and also visit the world’s fair took kesey’s prankster sideshow on the road , and this period of frenetic energy followed by his exile to mexico on drug charges left little time for serious writing . in an interview with the paris review in conducted in 1992 and 1993 , kesey said of sometimes a great notion :
and from the very beginning of sometimes a great notion , ken kesey ' s second novel and eagerly - awaited follow - up to his acclaimed one flew over the cuckoo ' s nest , we are hooked .
the ballad of narayama
is a japanese film of great beauty and elegant artifice , telling a story of startling cruelty . what a space it opens…
urltoken sometimes a great notion : paul newman , henry fonda , lee remick , richard jaeckel , linda lawson , cliff potts , roy poole , joe maross , john c . foreman , john gay : movies & tv
matt love , the author or editor of eight books on oregon history , has written about the production in
sometimes a great movie : paul newman , ken kesey and the filming of the great oregon novel .
sometimes a great notion is a good , if plot - sprawling , outdoor action film set in northwest lumber country , about a family of individualists fighting a town and a union . paul newman directed , produced , and stars as the crown prince to family patriarch henry fonda . john gay’s adaptation of ken kesey’s novel tries to balance the intellectual [ … ]
in june 1970 , the biggest movie star in the world traveled to the oregon coast to film an epic novel about a defiant family of loggers written by a home grown counterculture hero . the star was paul newman . the author was ken kesey . the story was sometimes a great notion and it has a fanatical following in the pacific northwest .
because , as sometimes happens , despite a poor critical reception , a lot of people simply love it .
sometimes a great movie
is , perhaps , author matt love at his best . as in
vortex i
, he ' s done his research and presents it in an entertaining and enlightening manner .
sometimes a great movie
focuses on the informal and sometimes wild encounters between the hollywood film professionals and coastal oregonians . lavishly illustrated with photos , black and white as well as color . recommended for west coasters and paul newman fans .
in sometimes a great movie : paul newman , ken kesey and the filming of the great oregon novel , author matt love documents the legend of that magical summer and presents over a 125 never - before - seen photographs , including many in color .
according to a 1970 article from newport ' s
news - times ,
130 people came to lincoln county to work on
sometimes a great notion ,
and an equal number of residents were involved in the production , which lasted from june through september .
“sometimes a great notion” is set in the remote lumber country of the pacific northwest and has to do with the patriarchal stamper family , which is continuing to run its small , independent logging operation while the other loggers in the area are frozen by a , strike against a huge lumber combine .
in the summer of 1970 , out on the central oregon coast , paul newman and company filmed a cinematic adaptation of ken kesey ' s epic 1964 novel , sometimes a great notion . matt love ' s new book ( and the final installment in his newport trilogy ) , sometimes a great movie , chronicles the film ' s production with an array of first - person accounts , photographs , and newspaper clippings of the time . a large portion of the book is composed of these local stories wherein coastal residents recall their interacti
on wednesday december 30th the sou’wester will host a rare public screening of sometimes a great notion . the movie , adapted from ken kesey’s epic novel about a defiant family of loggers , starred paul newman and was filmed on the central oregon coast during the summer of 1970 . the film was released in 1971 to an indifferent nationwide audience but remains a cult classic in the pacific northwest .
paul newman experimented with that formula in 1970 by making a film with only one . in sometimes a great notion , richard jaeckel played the trusting , loyal joe ben who drowns as his cousin hank tries and fails to keep him alive . jaeckel was oscar nominated for a performance which culminates in that one scene , but what happened to the rest of kesey’s masterful epic ?
a tile mural built this summer outside city hall - the largest of its kind in the northwest - shows scenes from toledo ' s history , including newman and fonda being filmed , and
sometimes a great notion
on the marquee of the downtown ross theater , which was torn down years ago .
it ' s not a great film , nor is it what the trade likes to describe as an east side film , that is , something that exhibits a kind of white‐collar starchiness towards the idea of manual labor or sweaty physical efort of any sort .
ken kesey’s novel , sometimes a great notion ( 1964 ) , is a complex and integrated historical background and relationship study of the stamper family , a prideful logging clan living in wakonda , oregon . this big story involves a man , his family , a town , the country , a period of time , and the effects of time . all of the elements of the novel including its characters , events , settings , symbols , and so on , are integrated and oriented toward the themes of independence , individualism , and self - sufficiency . the novel teaches that a person should have the right to try to be as big as he believes it is in him to be . sometimes a great notion was made into a 1971 film directed by and starring paul newman . in britain this film about generations of loggers was called never give an inch .
last year , i approached dale and shawrron searls , owners of the big o , about screening the film in the bar to promote my book about its production , “sometimes a great movie : paul newman , ken kesey and the filming of the great oregon novel . ” they enthusiastically agreed , and we staged the event on a thursday night in late january .
not long after the great day - glo man died in 2001 , i found myself drinking beer in the bayhaven , an ancient tavern on newport’s bayfront . there i noticed hanging on a wall a framed poster of promotional stills from sometimes a great notion the movie . it was filmed in and around lincoln county in 1970 and includes scenes shot in the bayhaven , which stood in for the snag saloon from the novel .
when kesey wrote sometimes a great notion , jocks were winners . much of the plot concerns the courage the lanky , underdeveloped lee must summon to continue seducing the wife of his violent , physically powerful half brother . the better lee knows hank , the more he realizes how dangerous his plan is .
next , i attempted to contact newman directly via emails to several of his high profile business ventures . i never received a reply . i then perused three newman biographies and learned that he once drank to binge and blackout excess . the biographies also reported that the independent production of sometimes a great notion experienced major problems .
“sometimes a great notion” is an extremely interesting , , if impure ( happily impure , i might add ) example of a genre of action film that flourished in the 1930 ' s in movies abont tuna fishermen , bush pilots , high‐wire repairmen and just about any physical pursuit you can think of with the possible exception of tolltaking , which ( except on some thruways ) lacks the necessary element of danger .
paul newman makes his directorial debut in the sweeping saga sometimes a great notion . based on the best - selling novel about a two - fisted oregon lumber family , the story focuses on a family that bucks their close - knit timber community in order to deliver a shipment of logs in defiance of a strike . in the process , one man is killed , the family patriarch henry ( henry fonda ) is injured , and the eldest son hank ( paul newman ) almost loses his wife ( lee remick ) to his half brother ( michael sarrazin ) . filled with complex characters and issues that still resonate today , sometimes a great notion is an intense portrait of life set against the backdrop of logging .
astoria writer matt love , author of sometimes a great movie : paul newman , ken kesey and the filming of the great oregon novel , will introduce the movie and take questions after the screening . he will also discuss new revelations about the legend of whether newman cut the legs off a tavern pool table with a chainsaw during the production .
on thursday , feb . 26 , the big o saloon will reprise its public screening of “sometimes a great notion . ” the movie , adapted from ken kesey’s epic novel about a defiant family of loggers , starred paul newman and was filmed on the central oregon coast during the summer of 1970 . the film was released in 1971 to an indifferent nationwide audience but remains a cult classic in the pacific northwest , particularly in logging / timber communities .
three days after hearing this fantastic story , i set out to corroborate its veracity . first i made a day trip to the toledo area , hit every bar and tavern and asked around about sometimes a great notion , the movie , and the alleged newman madness . no one had heard of it , but they all thought it could be true .
it can also be said that kesey’s life became his art . after notion he gravitated more to public performances , often in collaboration with various pranksters . the spontaneous creation of art through theatre and music had a great appeal for him .
in any case , sometimes a great notion was not registered for copyright by universal pictures and newman - foreman co . , inc . until 17 december 1971 . if it had actually opened in december 1970 , universal and paul newman would not have let a $ 4 million major production go without copyright protection for nearly a year while it played around the country for all of 1971 .
last month , the center held a gathering to recall the film . twenty - five people attended .
i enjoyed love ' s look at the filming of
sometimes a great notion
on the central oregon coast . he blends stories from locals , background on the novel , and the film ' s legacy ; in the process , love shows what it was like to live in a quiet community and in the midst of hollywood stars . the film isn ' t a well - known part of oregon history , so to hear stories from the set was a real treat . love shared a ton of fascinating stories , anecdotes , and reflections from that surreal era in oregon history , and
what better place to watch the greatest movie ever made about logging than in a real logger bar decorated with chainsaws and saw blades ? well , “sometimes a great notion” is that movie , and the big o saloon in olney is about the best logger bar i’ve ever patronized . it certainly has the biggest chainsaw i’ve ever seen . rumor is : it still works .
at the age of 46 paul newman , then arguably hollywood’s biggest star , produced , directed and starred as the logger hank stamper in sometimes a great notion , one of the first high profile , independent american films . in addition to newman in the lead role , the film featured henry fonda , lee remick , michael sarrazin , and richard jaeckel , respectively as hank’s domineering father , unhappy wife , estranged brother and cousin .
restoring indian jenny to the plot would make an honest miniseries out of a sometimes a great notion , and communicate both the novel’s social and psychological complexity , and its epic sweep . i propose irene bedard to play the beautiful small town prostitute who falls in love with the young logger henry stamper , and whose thwarted union with him provides the narrative engine for the rest of the plot .
what ensued was a wild working vacation between hollywood and oregonians involving beer , sex , scotch , loggers , beaches , and perhaps , a spectacularly vandalized pool table . in sometimes a great movie : paul newman , ken kesey and the filming of the great oregon novel , author matt love documents the legend of that magical summer and presents over a 125 never - before - seen photographs , including many in color .
news item stated that the film might be shot in canada . by may 1970 ,
the incidents in the film were generally faithful to those in the book ; however , many aspects of the book were not included in the film . as noted in the
and i am also here to claim that i will write the book that captures all the madness . it will be called sometimes a great party and hope to find enough of the home movie footage i know the locals shot to make a documentary to include as a dvd with the book .
thus opens ken kesey ' s sprawling , drenched , riffing , old growth dense , beautifully flawed , lsd flavored , masterpiece of a novel , sometimes a great notion , set on the oregon coast , about a gyppo logging family , published in 1964 , and undeniably the greatest oregon work of fiction of all time . if you live on the northwest coast and haven’t read it , you have no business living on the northwest coast .
i enjoyed love ' s look at the filming of
sometimes a great notion
on the central oregon coast . he blends stories from locals , background on the novel , and the film ' s legacy ; in the process , love shows what it was like to live in a quiet community and in the midst of hollywood stars . the film isn ' t a well - known part of oregon history , so to hear stories from the set was a real treat . love shared a ton of fascinating stories , anecdotes , and reflections from that surreal era in oregon history , and the story about paul newman and the pool table added a fun layer of intrigue to the book .
this film was the first movie ever shown on hbo when the service premiered in 1972 .
it seems like being around or involved in the filming of
notion
was a big deal in a lot of people ' s lives and they were eager to talk about it .
never have i read a work that captures the true community feeling that inhabits the small costal town of newport , oregon better than in matt love ' s sometimes a great movie : paul newman , ken kesey and the filming of the great oregon novel . the book itself is a testament to the greatness of the oregon coast . between the locally written stories about personal experiences and the author ' s personal stories of discovering what really happened with paul newman , the saw and the pool table , love ' s passion and dedication to uncovering and relaying the unique story of hollywood celebrities forming bonds with lincoln county locals is evident in every sentence . it ' s impossible to not become passionate about both sometimes a great notion and the greatness and beauty of the oregon coast and it ' s inhabitants while reading this book .
a miraculously non pc film from liberal paul newman that captures the feel and look of keseyland . richard jaeckel ' s death is a classic scene within a . . .
the best director award was presented to william friedkin ( with his first nomination and win ) for his first major feature the french connection - a tough , suspenseful crime film that preceded the similar cop film dirty harry by a few months .
when lee chooses to remain behind with hank , the brother he both loves and hates , we understand he has chosen death . he had his chance at life . viv = vitality = life . as viv watches the two men struggle to bring the logs down the river from the window of her greyhound bus out of town , she is ishmael escaping the unholy vortex of moby dick . kesey’s understanding of viv as a whole person , not a plot device , is entirely , but entirely , absent from the 1970 film adaptation of sometimes a great notion .
to make matters worse , he broke his ankle while riding a motorcycle for the film , which delayed production for weeks .
the tomatometer score — based on the opinions of hundreds of film and television critics — is a trusted measurement of critical recommendation for millions of fans . it represents the percentage of professional critic reviews that are positive for a given film or television show .
he did publish other works after sometimes a great notion , but nothing of the same caliber . but anyone who has added great novelist , pioneering counterculture icon , and friend of neal cassady to his list of life accomplishments can be said to be a true artist of the highest order . he proved that art , literature and ideas can come in the form of the solitary composition of a work of literature , or in the form of a [ sychedelic bus crossing the country , blasting the new music , and taking the new reality to the masses . ken kesey was resolutely anti - establishment until the end of his days .
but then newman starts tunneling under the material , coming up with all sorts of things we didn ' t quite expect , and along the way he proves himself ( as he did with
rachel , rachel
) as a director of sympathy and a sort of lyrical restraint . he rarely pushes scenes to their obvious conclusions , he avoids melodrama , and by the end of
sometimes a great notion ,
we somehow come to know the stamper family better than we expected to .
as i drank in the bayhaven , asking patrons their opinions on sometimes a great notion , the novel and movie , a thickly bearded man wearing a baseball cap emerged from an alcove sheltering the video poker machines and moved toward me holding a hamm’s can . he sat next to me at the bar and said he had a story about the movie . a story about paul newman . would i like to hear it ? yes , i would . i ordered him another hamm’s . he appeared anywhere from 40 - 70 years old , or what i call ota , oregon tavern age .
sometimes a great notion
is no classic . filmed five years earlier than
cuckoo ' s nest
in newport and elsewhere along the oregon coast , it is best known for an incredible scene in which joe ben stamper ( richard jaeckel ) is trapped by a log and the incoming tide despite the best efforts of his cousin hank ( paul newman ) to rescue him . the movie is also the answer to a trivia question : what is the first program to be broadcast on hbo ?
the oregon press offered uniformly positive reviews when sometimes a great notion came out , but to me , it is a mediocre movie , unimaginatively adapted . newman and screenwriter john gay obviously read the novel and tried to conjure a coherent theme from a biblical work of fiction punctuated with manic stretches of stream - of - consciousness and multiple narrators ( including a dog ) . but they failed . the movie is also marred by a terribly dubbed audio track and murky cinematography . if any scene remains memorable , it’s the harrowing sequence where jaeckel’s character is pinned under a log as a rising estuarine tide drowns him while newman tries to cut him free .
was based on the ken kesey novel of the same name , the first of his books to be adapted into a film . the
love has
sometimes a great notion
events scheduled around the state over the next few months . at 7 : 30 p . m . may 25 , he ' ll be at powell ' s city of books , 1005 w . burnside st . , along with a chain saw . at 6 : 30 p . m . may 26 , there will be a screening of the movie at the hollywood theatre , 4122 n . e . sandy blvd . a question - and - answer session will follow . for more appearances , see urltoken
the unmistakable cover , the book ' s aesthetics fit for display , the photos worth cutting out to mount , and the author ' s passion for making any topic , especially about oregon , interesting , are just a few reasons you should pick up a copy of sometimes a great movie for your next read . you ' ll hardly believe the stories in this book , and that these things happened in a small town on the oregon coast . sometimes a great movies makes a perfect gift for anyone , oregonian or not . any reader will have to see the movie afterward , and probably visit lincoln county . sometimes a great movie is well - written , including personal accounts from folks that were in the film and around during the filming that are interesting ; stories that make this history lesson one worth remembering and keeping alive . this is exactly what the author does with this book , matt love has a way of keeping the fun in oregon history , his passion for this is apparent . if you haven ' t seen him read yet , you ought to catch one of his upcoming shows . did i mention that he prints his books locally ?
this film was the first movie ever shown on hbo when the service premiered in 1972 . see more »
farrington thought people in new york or some other metropolis wouldn ' t understand the oregon the film captured .
33 . tangerines : this is estonia’s nomination in the foreign film category , though the film takes place in georgia , where , we are told , estonians emigrated once , only to return to their native land when armed conflicts began besieging the former soviet republics . tangerines is an interesting blend of new trends in the foreign film category ( toward tougher , bleaker films ) and old ones ( it wraps itself in a poetic ending that is maybe a little pat ) . nomination : best foreign language film
an interview with writer / director boots riley about his incendiary new film ,
sorry to bother you .
i liked this film . got to see it on uk tv in mid 70s . it rarely airs now .
22 . ida : many years , a foreign film is so acclaimed that it manages to get some spillover attention in the other categories . and while ida’s black - and - white cinematography was lovely , i wish this film had followed in amour ’s footsteps and garnered a best actress nomination for either of its leading ladies , agata kulesza and agata trzebuchowska . it’s their performances—one all sheltered curiosity , the other boozy , weary , and wise—that make this film special . nominations : best foreign language film , best cinematography
23 . our curse : i’d love to be able to go into detail about this short film , a look at a pair of new parents whose child suffers a rare condition that requires a ventilator every night or else he will stop breathing and die , but if i think about it for too long , i’m just going to start sobbing again . the miserablism of the doc shorts is sometimes made fun of ; there are years where the list reads like “cancer , holocaust , suicide , euthanasia , holocaust again . ” this year’s nominees could certainly fill out a similar checklist . but this heartbreaker of a film is a reminder that reducing these films to their subject matter is a great way to miss out on some intimate , disarming filmmaking . nomination : best documentary short
the big o will offer a hank stamper olympia and meatloaf sandwich special , free popcorn , the warmth of crackling woodstove fire to enjoy the film , and a special musical guest .
my husband had been searching everywhere for this movie , and i was like . . amazon ! amazon has everything ! so i ordered it for him friday , and it arrived tuesday = thanks to the perks of free 2 day shipping , through amazon prime ! my husband is a logger , in oregon - and some of the guys he works with recommended this movie . we really enjoyed it . it shows a good true side to oregon loggers , even the process of the equipment , which many don ' t get to see . it is not like the t . v show that ' s full of drama . sometimes a great notion , is a wonderful movie featuring paul newman . it ' s got a great story line behind it , with great acting skills . looks like it was filmed right in our oregon mountains as well , but i ' m not sure . i highly recommend this movie !
review , the film ' s final cost was considerably higher than its original budget of $ 3 . 66 million .
great movie for the time it was made . i was super excited to finally watch the movie that was filmed in my county and now .
i met ken kesey at a book signing in 1993 , and he signed my battered copy of sometimes a great notion , which i consider to be one of the best american novels , along with moby dick and on the road . kesey struck me not so much as a countercultural icon , but as an archetype of the old west : his still - powerful frame from his wrestling days , his calloused hands from hard work on his farm , and his sideburns . the sideburns and the jut of his jaw – suggesting that he was , in fact , hank stamper .
46 . parvaneh : the story of a young afghan woman seeking asylum in switzerland . a sweet , generous film that doesn’t make a very big impact , relative to its competition . nomination : best live - action short
given the fact that shooting did not end until early october 1970 and that newman had difficulties editing the film , it ' s highly improbable that the film was completed and scored in only 11 weeks , for release by 31 december 1970 .
thanks for that . it ' s a magnificent book . i wish i had been fortunate enough to have gotten my copy signed . i believe it is the great american novel .
paul newman ' s
sometimes a great notion
tells sort of an old - fashioned story about prideful clans carving empires out of the wilderness . the characters seem a little familiar , too . take the three most important . henry fonda is the proud old patriarch , paul newman is the son who stays at home but makes up his own mind , and michael sarrazin is the kid brother who comes back to the land with all sorts of half - baked notions and scores to settle . so far , the relationships remind us of
hud .
magic trip , a new film by alex gibney and alison ellwood , tells the story of novelist ken kesey ' s 1964 road trip across america in a painted bus with a troupe of fanciful hippies and legendary beatnik neal cassady at the wheel .
36 . the phone call : every once in a while , you get a short film with some star power . so it is here , as former oscar nominee sally hawkins ( plus the voice of oscar winner jim broadbent ) lend their talents to this story of a crisis hotline worker and a call that really shakes her up . the familiarity of an actress like hawkins is a huge boon to a movie that is really just one extended phone conversation , though a “name” actress can sometimes feel like an unfair advantage in the shorts categories . nomination : best live - action short
newman , already the star and co - producer of the major film , became the director after the original one resigned . a third of the movie already had been shot .
memories of the film have resurfaced thanks to toledo ' s focus on history during the town ' s year - long 100th birthday celebration .
“it’s my best work , and i’ll never write anything that good again . it’s a question of time spent on it . i worked on notion for two years without interruption , exploring symbols and characters and letting the narrative take its own way . ”
that imdb date of a 31 december 1970 u . s . release is highly suspect . according to the american film institute catalog , the film did not generally open in the u . s . until november 1971 . ( no specific date is given . ) certainly , my recollection is that it opened late in 1971 .
still , it ' s a treat to see saldana in a movie in which she ' s not operating a rocket launcher or equipped with a blue tail .
noted that richard a . colla had been set to direct the film , which would be a jennings lang presentation . lang , the then - vice - president of universal films , was not listed in the onscreen credits .
50 . white earth : if you’re looking to dispel the notion that oscar - nominated documentary shorts are all sad looks at bleak lives told through a filter of bittersweet perseverance , white earth is maybe not the short for you . nomination : best documentary short
i missed a great novel . i mean , i had the thing decades ago when raw and real young and began to give it a go but couldn ' t continue . subsequently over the years i never really ever got a clue what i ' d missed out on until now . . .
when the film cuts away from the family soap opera dramatics and shows the macho men at work wielding their chainsaws at the logging camp among the giant trees , it has a buzz .
in the book , love blends reportage , memoir , primary documents , oral history , film criticism , and photographs to produce a unique , entertaining , visually rich work of non fiction .
the movie doesn ' t seem very sure of what it thinks about the fonda character ' s fierce and stubborn pride . the character himself believes all that matters is getting up for another day , and working , and eating , and sleeping , and getting on with life . another character , a brother - in - law , played by oscar nominee richard jaeckel , has been
saved
at the local fundamentalist church and has a sort of sweet simplicity that seems out of place - - until the scene where he dies . he dies in a way that is truly filled with grace and humor , and the scene is one of the several things in
sometimes a great notion
that make it worth seeing , even if its overall design is murky .
then in the spring of 2007 , i found myself in the tiny toledo historical museum on a teaching errand completely unrelated to the sometimes a great notion story . on a lark , i asked the museum’s director if the archives held any material about the movie shoot . yes , the archives did . would i like to see them ? yes , i would . a few minutes later i held an approximately 100 - page file containing newspaper and magazine clippings of local , state and national stories about the film’s production . there were even articles from the los angeles times and a trade publication called chain saw age , which featured newman on the cover wielding a mcculloch beast with what looked like a 60 - inch bar ! the museum director told me that someone had compiled this file back in 1970 - 71 and turned it over to the museum years ago . to her knowledge , no one had ever looked at it . i paid her $ 50 on the spot to copy the entire file for me . i read it all later that night .
42 . a single life : the elasticity of styles that can be found among the animated shorts every year makes it one of my favorite categories . with a single life , you get a cute little story about a woman who finds she can advance her life forward and backward with the needle on a record player . the entire film is two and a half minutes long . nomination : best animated short
a tribute to the late tab hunter , a gay matinee idol and hollywood trailblazer .
32 . butter lamp : it takes a while to get used to what’s going on in butter lamp , which depicts a photographer setting up group shots of tibetans in front of various backgrounds . the poignancy , humor , and thoughtfulness of the setups ( the great wall , disney world ) add up to something more like a conceptual art project , reminiscent of the far heavier the missing picture , nominated in foreign language film last year . nomination : best live - action short
a member of british intelligence assumes a fictitious criminal identity and allows himself to be caught , imprisoned , and freed in order to infiltrate a spy organization and expose a traitor .
in his spare time , henry fonda sketched watercolors and collected agates . he bought himself a tumbler to polish his rocks . he also worried about the “sensibilities” of old trees cut down for the film .
someone is going to lose an arm , or worse , but we keep reading , sometimes afraid of what is going to happen , but unable to stop . the story builds relentlessly from its initial image .
shifting the action of the story to a completely different character as well as a different locality in just a short piece of dialogue .
52 . the imitation game : for a while there , people really thought harvey weinstein was going to be able to muscle this one to a best picture win , through his usual mix of chutzpah and blunt - force marketing . better luck ( with a better film ? ) next year . nominations : best picture , best director , best actor , best supporting actress , best adapted screenplay , best film editing , best production design , best original score
after i introduced the film , we all settled in with food and drink and watched a movie containing incredible scenes of logging and log drives of the type that will never happen again because environmental regulations and industry changes disallowed or precluded them in the subsequent decades . forty - five years ago , that wasn’t part of the film’s inherent appeal , but it is today .
review mistakenly list the character of
joe ben
as
henry stamper ' s
son . in 1977 , the film was released on television under the title
barbara harris ( with her sole nomination ) as allison - an aspiring singer ( co - star dustin hoffman ' s girlfriend ) in who is harry kellerman , and why is he saying those terrible things about me ? [ the film has the remarkable distinction of having the longest title of any nominated film in academy history . ]
35 . wild tales : if wild tales had been an english - language movie , there’s no way it would even get close to an oscar nomination . this series of vignettes—most of them darkly comedic , most of them circling a theme of vengeance—plays like lesser tarantino and would probably be brushed off as a popcorn movie and nothing more . but in a foreign language film race where so many entries are solemn , thoughtful , slow affairs , wild tales plays like a hugely refreshing change of pace . nomination : best foreign language film
in june 1970 , the biggest movie star in the world traveled to the oregon coast to film an epic novel about a defiant family of loggers written by a home grown counterculture hero . the star was paul newman . the author was ken kesey . the story was
a radio station in the deep south becomes the focal point of a right - wing conspiracy .
21 . still alice : throughout awards season , this movie has been treated solely as a julianne moore vehicle . a car service , in particular . one that picks her up from the airport and drives her directly to the best actress oscar she so richly deserves . but it’s too bad the rest of the movie couldn’t get a little love , for its smart and sensitive storytelling , or for its great supporting performances from kristen stewart and alec baldwin . moore still towers over the film , but it’s a shame that the academy couldn’t look beyond her . nomination : best actress
25 . two days , one night : jean - pierre and luc dardenne have never once been nominated for a foreign film oscar . not even this year . but through a clever bit of noncampaigning ( every time marion cotillard didn’t show up at a precursor event , some critic would write about what a shame it was she was being passed over ) , their film managed to snag a mention in one of the big four categories . that’s not bad . hopefully it leads to more people seeing this quiet , powerful movie about a woman going door to door in her community to try and save her job . nomination : best actress
8 . begin again : writer / director john carney’s follow - up to once didn’t receive the acclaim that its predecessor did , though it ended up getting the exact same oscar nomination . ( “lost stars” probably won’t win like “falling slowly” did . ) i spent much of this film marveling that i wasn’t more irritated by this story of a down - and - out music producer ( mark ruffalo ) who discovers a sad singer - songwriter ( keira knightley ) in a bar and decides to produce her record . but the film walks a difficult tightrope between sentimentality and a kind of process story about making music off the grid , and in the balance it finds an unvarnished sweetness . also amazing : the nominated song sounds so great , despite being performed by adam levine . nomination : best original song
sometimes a grnat noticin , ” ken kesey ' s second novel , adapted by john gay and directed by paul newman opened at 22 theaters here yesterday , which probably means that it will be in and out of town so quickly that a lot of people who might like to see it won ' t have the chance .
mr . love has captured a slice of oregon - american pie at a pivotal time in [ relatively ] recent history . that he has managed to do so without ken kesey , paul newman and the original director of this film is now small feat . manage he does , however , and readers of mr . kesey , along with film buffs everywhere , are in for a treat as they delve into this tall true - tale . well - worth the $ 30 . 00 price tag .
the film barely managed to open in los angeles in time to qualify for the 1971 academy awards ( awarded in 1972 ) . the film received two 1971 nominations - - best actor in a supporting role for richard jaeckel and best music , original song , for henry mancini ( music ) , alan bergman ( lyrics ) , and marilyn bergman ( lyrics ) for the song
all his children
.
10 . timbuktu my favorite of the foreign - language nominees this year comes from mauritania , a first - time nominee in this category . it’s been heartening to watch the category expand over the last decade or so , branching out from the usual haunts of france , italy , and sweden to cover a more comprehensive vision of foreign film . timbuktu couldn’t be more vital , telling a story about an islamist takeover in west africa . that it tells such a story without extravagance and with a careful focus on its characters makes it worthy of winning , though it probably won’t . nomination : best foreign language film
since i knew nothing about the book by ken kesey nor the movie , i got both ( audio book ) to prepare for this new book by matt love ( i ' m a fan of all of his books and knew that this one would be good ) . i only got halfway thru the audio book and watched the movie before reading sometimes a great movie . matt ' s book does a wonderful job of making this reader want to finish the audio book , watch the movie a few more times , read the novel and visit oregon . i look forward to attending some of his book promotions as he will undoubted have much more say .
brit - born peter finch ( with the first of two career nominations - he won best actor for network ( 1976 ) ) as dr . daniel hirsh - a middle - aged , homosexual doctor involved in a three - sided love story in the british film sunday , bloody sunday
q . it seems like
notion
was one of those movies that fell through the cracks - - different versions of different lengths , changed title , etc . what is the critical consensus on it , and where does it stand in the history of oregon culture ?
38 . the tale of the princess kaguya : in a typical year , the animated feature lineup contains a pixar slot , a disney slot , and a dreamworks slot . looks like now there’s a slot for studio ghibli , which has nabbed nominations for the wind rises and howl’s moving castle , not to mention a win for spirited away . isao takahata’s first film in 14 years is undeniably beautiful , like a watercolor come to life , but at the risk of heresy . . . it kind of drags . nomination : best animated feature
within days , i received about a dozen leads connecting me to friends , parents , and relatives who had some role in the film’s production or servicing the hollywood people . and frankly , the stories were incredible—better yet , totally unreported .
29 . leviathan : the big story here is that a movie this critical of the russian establishment—the way government corruption filters down to destroy the lives of ordinary , good families—was selected to be russia’s official foreign submission to the oscars . the film itself certainly makes an impression , with its whale - skeleton metaphor about how the cross - contamination of government and business is too big a monster to fight . i’m pretty sure i got it . nomination : best foreign language film
but somehow , this bomb of a movie took in $ 133 million in its opening weekend . not only does that total beat the better - reviewed deadpool ( 84 percent on rotten tomatoes ) , which i loved , it smashed the august box office records previously set in 2014 by guardians of the galaxy , which i really loved . and this doesn’t seem to be a fluke : deadline reports suicide squad is posting great weekday numbers , beating even the vaunted captain america : civil war for a tuesday box - office record . hence my confusion . how could such a poorly reviewed film make so much money ?


saving mes aynak is a 2014 independent documentary film , directed , produced , shot and edited by brent e. huffman .

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 .

the film was directed by brent e. huffman .

he was awarded the the international academic forum documentary film award in 2015 in part for his work on the film .

saving mes aynak

saving mes aynak earns 23rd award since 2014 release ; dvd available nov . 8
it is easy to see why saving mes aynak goes round collecting . . .
saving mes aynak is definitely worth your watch . it ' s . . .
news release : free film screening of ‘saving mes aynak’ at mcdaniel nov . 2
brent huffman is an award - winning documentary filmmaker and director of saving mes aynak .
urltoken saving mes aynak : qadir temori , brent e . huffman : movies & tv
“saving mes aynak” debuts this weekend in amsterdam at the international documentary film festival in amsterdam .
watch the exclusive clip from “saving mes aynak” below and visit the indiegogo campaign page here .
saving mes aynak premiered at the international documentary film festival amsterdam last november and follows archaeologist qadir temori and his fight to save the mes aynak site .
news release : free film screening of ' saving mes aynak ' at mcdaniel nov . 2 | mcdaniel college
huffman and “saving mes aynak” also have partnered with icarus films , one of the world ' s leading distributors of documentary films . icarus will oversee the north american educational , home , and digital release of “saving mes aynak . ”
chicago not - for - profit documentary collective kartemquin films will release saving mes aynak free to the people of afghanistan .
the afghan archaeologists at mes aynak risk their lives everyday to preserve their cultural history . learn more about the sacrifices they make in this video , with footage from the documentary saving mes aynak .
saving mes aynak follows afghan archaeologist qadir temori as he races against time to stop the crumbling monasteries and ruins from being destroyed .
: i wonder if indian govt can influence afghanistan govt to save mes aynak . for saving of international heritage , is it po…
i created saving mes aynak to be a catalyst for change . my hope is that the documentary can actually save mes aynak by rallying international support to stop the destruction of this site scheduled for next year .
saving mes aynak has been selected for the prestigious fipa festival international de programmes audiovisuels , screening this january 21 , 2015 in biarritz , france .
shot his documentary entitled saving mes aynak , which follows the archaeologist qadir temori as he races against time to save the site from imminent demolition .
brent huffman ' s documentary
saving mes aynak
will screen six times at the international documentary film festival in amsterdam nov . 22 - 30
brent e . huffman presenting special advanced screening of
saving mes aynak
at the rubin museum of art in new york on dec . 18
brent e . huffman presenting special advance screening of
saving mes aynak
at the rubin museum of art in new york on dec . 18
professor and director of
saving mes aynak
brent e . huffman is honored to be selected as the president of the arkhaios film festival jury for the archaeology and culture film festival this october . (
saving mes aynak
won the grand prize at the festival back in 2015 ) urltoken
saving mes aynak , an award - winning documentary film that follows afghan archaeologist qadir temori in his campaign to save the mes aynak site in central logar province from demolition by a chinese company , has been released in afghanistan .
saving mes aynak director brent e . huffman appeared on cnn ' s amanpour with christiane amanpour to discuss the dire situation currently facing this historic heritage site .
brent huffman ' s documentary
saving mes aynak
will screen six times at the international documentary film festival in amsterdam nov . 22 - 30 ~ arcablog
the ending of mes aynak - - the end of its story - - hasn ' t been written . . . and we have a chance to save the site .
featuring brent huffman , from the saving mes aynak chicago premiere panel discussion .
in traveling to the region on his own many times , “saving mes aynak” director brent e . huffman risked his life at the hands of land mines and taliban fighters .
ironically , mes aynak was also one of the earliest known copper mining centres in the world - where the precious material was mined and smelted using ancient technology used in coin production and in the creation of ancient buddhist artifacts . if mes aynak were to be tragically destroyed , saving mes aynak would be the only visual record that this wondrous city ever existed .
in traveling to the region on his own many times , “ saving mes aynak ” director brent e . huffman risked his life at the hands of landlines and taliban fighters .
summary : saving mes aynak , a 2014 award - winning documentary film , chronicles one afghan archaeologist’s fight to save a 5 , 000 - year - old buddhist site from ruin .
gilded buddha head discovered at mes aynak . copyright © brent e . huffman . all rights reserved
saving mes aynak , from kartemquin films , the producers of life itself and the interrupters , examines the conflict between cultural preservation and economic opportunity , through the lens of the afghan archaeologists and local villagers who live and work near mes aynak . called ,
a doc of crucial immediacy . . . advocacy filmmaking at its best and most chilling ,
by indiewire , saving mes aynak is both a powerful and moving film , and an inspiring call to action .
brent huffman , the director behind the new documentary “saving mes aynak , ” tells the story of one of afghanistan’s archaeological treasures and discusses the threats it faces from a chinese mining company .
brent e . huffman , director of saving mes aynak , has not returned to afghanistan since completing thefilm’s production work as he allegedly received kidnapping and death threats from insurgents controlling the area .
the filmmakers behind saving mes aynak have announced a global screening day to spread awareness about a 5 , 000 - year - old buddhist archaeological site in afghanistan on the brink of destruction .
brent huffman ' s documentary saving mes aynak will premiere at the international documentary film festival in amsterdam this week . here ' s a list of the show times . a synopsis of the film :
to the segment on the november 19 pbs newshour by frank carlson ,
in ' saving mes aynak , ' a real - life indiana jones fights to protect afghanistan ' s buddhist heritage
.
# savemesaynak day is finally here ! on this day , we will unite in watching saving mes aynak , and announce to the world that we believe in saving mes aynak , and in protecting culture , history , and human rights . the more noise we make , the more the afghanistan government , chinese state - owned mining company , and unesco will listen . join us to make history !
the award - winning documentary saving mes aynak was a hit at idfa 2014 and full frame 2015 , but more than just a documentary it’s also harnessing an activist campaign to save this ancient site .
so mes aynak and those who are working there to protect the site need our help more than ever .
“saving mes aynak” has premiered at a selection of high profile film festivals including the international documentary film festival amsterdam ( idfa ) , full frame documentary film festival , american documentary festival palm springs and dokufest kosovo .
kartemquin films will make director brent e . huffman’s documentary , “ saving mes aynak , ” available for free to the people of afghanistan , the chicago - based not - for - profit documentary collective announced .
the award - winning film saving mes aynak follows archaeologist qadir temori as he races against time to save a 5 , 000 - year - old buddhist archeological site in afghanistan from imminent demolition by a chinese state - owned mining company , who plan to destroy mes aynak to mine for $ 100 billion worth of copper .
saving mes aynak examines the conflict between cultural preservation and economic opportunity through the lens of the afghan archaeologists and local villagers who work and live near mes aynak . 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 .
brent e . huffman gives an in - depth interview on the trials of making saving mes aynak with joe corey of insidepulse , following our screening at the prestigious full frame documentary film festival in durham , nc .
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 . . . see full summary »
with only ten percent of the site excavated , some believe mes aynak holds historic keys that could unlock mysteries of afghan history—and the history of buddhism itself . as conflict , globalization , and economic opportunity come to blows in afghanistan , saving mes aynak chronicles the efforts of those risking their lives to preserve a slice of afghan heritage .
mes aynak is a 5 , 000 - year - old archeological site that sits in the mountains outside of kabul . it is rich with historic artifacts , such asthisfine golden buddha . the site sits on top of a vast deposit of copper that will soon be mined in an open pit . ( brent huffman / saving mes aynak )
here ' s a link to the petition to president hamid karzai to prevent the destruction of the archaeological site mes aynak and a relevant facebook page , the buddhas of aynak .
that the u . s . military army corp of engineers allocated one million dollars to support artifact preservation in mes aynak .
the rubin museum of art , in co - presentation with nyu ' s institute for the study of the ancient world , will show the documentary
saving mes aynak
on wednesday at 7 p . m . on dec . 18 . the director brent e . huffman will be at the special advance screening on december 18 and talk afterward about mes aynak .
in order to gain attention to the issue , the film will screen worldwide on july 1st with vhx streaming access purchased only through indiegogo . the filmmakers are trying to raise $ 50 , 000 in order to share the film and convey the importance of saving mes aynak . “the more funds we raise , the more people will see the film and know the beauty and importance of mes aynak , and the greater the chance of mes aynak being saved , ” write the filmmakers on their indiegogo page .
fair observer ' s will calhoun publishes two - part interview with documentarian brent h . huffman on
the race to save mes aynak
) that archaeologists may only have until june to work at mes aynak unless something can be worked out once the excavation begins .
fair observer ' s will calhoun publishes two - part interview with documentarian brent e . huffman on
the race to save mes aynak
mes aynak is one of the world ' s great heritage sites . the history there is irreplaceable . . . yet , it ' s threatened by destruction this year ( 2015 ) by a chinese - state owned mining company . see the beauty of mes aynak in this short video .
“the more that people are able to see the film , and the more who sign the urltoken petition asking afghanistan president ashraf ghani to request unesco make mes aynak a world heritage site , the greater the chances that mes aynak and its invaluable history can be saved , ” said huffman .
mes aynak is grand and awe - inspiring and has the magical ability to lure people ( like me ) from all over the world to fall in love with its mysterious beauty . archaeologists estimate that only 10 percent of mes aynak has been discovered - only the tip of an enormous iceberg .
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 . saving mes aynak examines the conflict between cultural preservation and economic opportunity through the lens of the afghan archaeologists and local villagers who work and live near mes aynak . 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 .
evanston , ill . - - the reva & david logan foundation has awarded a $ 50 , 000 social justice grant to northwestern university professor brent huffman and kartemquin films to help raise awareness about the plight of an ancient archeology site featured in the documentary film “saving mes aynak . ”
sma director brent e . huffman appeared on huffington post live with marc lamont hill to talk about mes aynak and the global movement to save it .
but that doesn ' t mean that mes aynak is by any means secure . huffman says he is doing his part to get the word out .
the outreach campaign has three goals : to preserve mes aynak as a protected cultural heritage site ; to widen public perspective of afghanistan ' s cultural heritage ; and to strengthen the archaeology department at the afghan ministry of culture in kabul to protect mes aynak and other important historical sites in afghanistan , huffman said .
china metallurgical group corp ( mcc ) wants to extract the $ 100bn worth of copper lying beneath the ruins of the ancient buddhist city of mes aynak .
unfortunately , the situation at mes aynak has taken a turn for the worse recently . afghan archaeologists working at the site need international support more than ever .
on the arca blog you may read additional posts on mes aynak ' s threatened by copper excavation ; dangerous precedent ; extension ; and kickstart funds usage .
now the afghan archaeologists can accurately record record their findings at the buddhist city at mes aynak and other archaeology sites in afghanistan ,
huffman wrote .
saving mes aynak , a 2014 award - winning kartemquin documentary film , chronicles one afghan archaeologist’s fight to save a 5 , 000 - year - old buddhist site from ruin . as a chinese mining company closes in on mes aynak , hoping to extract $ 100 billion dollars’ worth of copper buried underneath , qadir temori and his team of archaeologists face an almost impossible battle to thwart the imminent demolition amid embroiled conflict with the taliban and local political play .
the governor of logar province ( where mes aynak is located ) was murdered last month - journalists speculate it was due to his support of the chinese deal .
saving mes aynak stands not only as a reflection of these courageous efforts to protect and preserve invaluable cultural heritage , but also represents a voice for the voiceless - a vehicle where afghans can speak out on camera against these injustices happening all around them . now these passionate , courageous voices will finally be heard .
the film , produced and directed by huffman , follows the frantic efforts of archaeologists working to save the ancient buddhist site of mes aynak in afghanistan from imminent destruction .
saving mes aynak
airs on the program
witness
on al jazeera america on saturday at 10 p . m . et / 7 p . m . pst . you can also stream the film on the kartemquin films website for $ 9 . 99 ( or for free if you live in afghanistan ) .
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 destruction . a chinese state - owned mining company plans to mine the copper deposits beneath it ; the operation will demolish the ancient city together with the entire mountain range .
saving mes aynak follows afghan archaeologist qadir temori as he races to save the mes aynak site from imminent demolition by china metallurgical group corporation ( mcc ) , a chinese state - owned mining company ready to harvest an estimated $ 100 billion dollars worth of copper . located within afghanistan’s taliban - controlled logar province , mes aynak is a 5 , 000 year - old bronze age site and 2 , 000 year - old buddhist silk road city of historical and cultural importance archeologists have stated could potentially be comparable to machu picchu or pompeii . only 10 % of the site has so far been excavated , but corruption is rampant , and the site could be destroyed at any time . urltoken
located 18 miles south of kabul , the ancient site of mess aynak was rediscovered in the mid - 20th century . now archaeologists have less than four months to extract artifacts from mes aynak before a chinese company begins mining the world ' s second largest copper deposit .
“saving mes aynak” has won more than ten domestic and international awards and will be screened around the world in the upcoming months , including at the louvre in paris as part of the film international conference on art , 9th edition . it will also air in india , nepal , australia , czech republic , canada , singapore and hong kong .
that rich archaeological heritage is now in jeopardy as a chinese state - run mining company , which paid $ 3 billion for rights to mine the site in 2007 , moves forward with plans to turn the site into an open pit mine next year . and that threat is the subject of a new documentary , “ saving mes aynak . ”
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 .
the site is called mes aynak , which means “little source of copper , ” and contains an estimated $ 100 billion in deposits . but mes aynak is also home to the remains of a 2 , 000 - year - old buddhist city , as well as statues , paintings , figurines and other artifacts from the previous civilizations dating back some 5 , 000 years .
# savemesaynak day on july 1 will spark worldwide protest , conversation , and action around saving mes aynak , an award - winning documentary that exposes a chinese company ' s plan to turn a 5 , 000 year - old archeological site in afghanistan into a copper mine , destroying priceless buddhist relics . thousands of people will watch the film together worldwide .
this cultural travesty serves as the basis of brent huffman ' s documentary ,
saving mes aynak ,
which tells the story of one afghan archeologist ' s struggle to excavate as much of the site as possible before the mining company takes it over — all while dealing with vanishing budgets and dodging improvised explosive devices unhelpfully deposited by the local taliban .
all funds raised , the statement adds , will go towards supporting the efforts in saving the historic site , and in educating people about the importance of preserving cultural heritage .
it is easy to see why saving mes aynak goes round collecting award after award . i had never heard of the ruins of mes aynak until i came across this story online . i was really intrigued by the fact such a huge site exists and yet is so little known . i visited the saving mes aynak website and requested a screening of the film in my local town . i am so glad i did . this has to be one of the best documentaries i have ever seen . basically it is the story of the afghan archaeologists who are up against a chinese mining company and the taliban while trying to preserve this little known site in the mountains of afghanistan . beautifully filmed , beautifully told , this story brought a tear to my eye and made me wish i could do more to help preserve such an amazing site . the love of the archaeologists for their cultural heritage alone makes this worth seeing .
documentarian brent e . huffman raised $ 35 , 200 on kickstart for the buddhas of mes aynak . on friday he announced on facebook ( the buddhas of aynak ) that new computers and cameras have been purchased from 10 % of those kickstart funds for the afghan archaeology office in kabul .
huffman called the grant a “game - changing development” because it allows him to hire an outreach team and to keep traveling with the film to lecture about the importance and significance of mes aynak .
only 10 percent 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 .
the 5 , 000 - year - old history at mes aynak , it ' s world history ,
says huffman .
and that is something we should all care about .
in the days since
saving mes aynak
premiered at the international documentary film festival in amsterdam late last year , the film has helped draw international attention to the importance of this buried city , which drew on influences from as far west as greece and as far east as china . ( the guardian has a terrific overview of the site ' s history . )
the us premiere of saving mes aynak will be coming soon but is still yet to be announced , but we are delighted to present an exclusive sneak preview on march 6 , 2015 7 : 00 pm at northwestern university ' s block museum . this free screening will be attended by brent huffman , who is a faculty member at northwestern ' s medill school . get more details .
this archaeology is not just about distant civilizations lost in time , mes aynak is about how archaeology , politics , economics , imperialism , terrorism and cultural identity are in conflict right here and now .
kartemquin is currently offering streams , downloads , dvd / blu - rays and public screenings of “saving mes aynak” through their campaign on indiegogo . an initial 10 % of the $ 50 , 000 campaign goal of raised funds will also go directly to funding archeologists preserving the site . should the filmmakers exceed their goal before midnight pdt on june 26 , they will double that direct donation to 20 % .
in addition to the gigantic buddhas destroyed by the taliban in 2001 , another buddhist site , mes aynak , in afghanistan is being threatened by the country ' s desire to improve its economy by extracting natural resources .
located in taliban - infested central logar province , mes aynak is a 5 , 000 year - old bronze age site and 2 , 000 year - old buddhist silk road city of massive historical and cultural importance .
before midnight on july 1 , which has been declared save mes aynakday globally , according to the statement .
“in mes aynak , the silence gives me a sense of connection to the past , ” huffman said . “my mind floods with what life was like in this vibrant city . recklessly destroying it is like erasing history . ”
on september 15 , 2015 , we had the honor of screening saving mes aynak to a full a theater at the world - renowned carnegie endowment for international peace , one of the most important and influential think tanks in the world . here is the full audio from the discussion and q & a following the screening , which was moderated by tom carver , carnegie ' s vp for communications and strategy ( and former bbc correspondent ) .
mes aynak , which translates into “little source of copper” , is a site located 40 km southeast of kabul in central logar province . it contains afghanistan’s largest copper deposit and remains of an ancient settlement with more than 400 buddhist relics .
a german camera and kartemquin films co - production saving mes aynak a film by brent e . huffman fixer / translater najibullah sedeqe post production supervisor ryan gleeson co - editor matt lauterbach consulting editor jim klein edited by brent e . huffman original score homayoun sakhi cinematography & amp ; sound brent e . huffman executive producers julia reichert gordon quinn justine nagan & brian gilman produced by brent e . huffman xiaoli zhou & zak piper directed by brent e . huffman
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 .
saving mes aynak follows the 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 .
isis destroyed thousands of years of human history when they sacked the mosul museum in iraq . we could not protect those artifacts , but we can protect mes aynak from corporate demolition . will we take a stand to stop this senseless destruction ?
film synopsis 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 .
a magnificent buddhist settlement along the silk road , mes aynak can be the most important archaeological discovery in a generation . the excavated fraction of the site reveals that future digs will possibly redefine the history of afghanistan and the history of buddhism itself .
hannah bloch has covered afghanistan since 1996 , when she was named time magazine’s first full - time correspondent for pakistan and afghanistan , a post she held for six years . her story “rescuing mes aynak
appears in the september 2015 issue of national geographic .
mes aynak , located in the mountains east of kabul , came to the attention of modern archaeologists in the 1960s when a french geologist surveyed the area for copper deposits , and instead found a buried ancient city that covered an estimated 2 . 5 square miles .
the heart of
saving mes aynak
is qadir temori , the good - humored afghan archaeologist who has poured his efforts into rescuing what he can of the ancient site before the clock runs out . in the film , he is seen facing everything from inclement weather , to threatening text messages from the taliban , to government officials who seem unable or unwilling to pay the archaeological staff or supply them with basic materials ( despite the fact that millions in international funds have been invested in the project ) .
documentarian brent e . huffman has announced on his kickstarter page , the buddhas of mes aynak , that archaeologists have six to nine more months to remove relics and artifacts from the ancient monastery in afghanistan before the site is transformed into the world ' s second largest copper mine .
team came home with the best documentary award - international one - hour film competition at the cinemambiente international environmental film festival . the festival , in its 18th year , took place in torino , italy from october 6 - 11 , 2015 . cinemambiente serves as one of the leading environmental film festivals in the world . in awarding this prize , cinemambiente recognizes saving mes aynak for its
balanced presentation and concise treatment of the political , cultural , human , social , and environmental issues in present day afghanistan .
congratulations to the
the dream situation for me would be to save mes aynak and do a proper archaeological dig , save everything , and make it a tourist destination . but i think that will only happen with massive public support for the site , and unesco would have to come in and assist archaeologists .
the remains of mes aynak of more than 300 buddha statues and stupas were scheduled to be destroyed at the end of 2012 ( here ' s an arca interview with mr . huffman last september on the site ' s endangerment and background on archaeologists ' efforts to protect the site ) .
un excellent documentaire sur l ' archéologie en afghanistan et sur les fouilles de mes aynak , un magnifique site bouddhiste en danger face aux mines de cuivre gérées par une entreprise chinoise . une terrible bataille engagée par qadir ternori un archéologue très motivé . espérons que le temps jouera en sa faveur .
saving mes aynak is definitely worth your watch . it ' s probably the last motion picture record of this historic archaeological site in afghanistan . it is a thorough and significant record of china ' s terrifying reach across the world for the natural resources and sovereignty of underdeveloped countries . the film is also a rare record of people ' s coming together from all corners of the world with the shared understanding that culture and history shall never be overshadowed by economic gains of a few . real , educational , and exquisite . watch with your friends , kids , or students !
by director brent huffman has continued to spark dialogue and make headlines regarding the imminent destruction of a mes aynak , one of the world ' s most significant archeological excavations , by a chinese state - owned mining company eager to harvest $ 100 billion dollars worth of copper buried directly beneath the archaeological ruins .
two kilometers far from kabul , in logar province , it’s possible to see a magnificent piece of afghanistan’s history , a treasure hidden in the bends of time and now revealed . here lays mes aynak a 5000 - year - old archaeological site , an entire buddhist city of 450 , 000 square meters .
“afghanistan is not a rich country and they are under immense pressure to develop their mineral resources . but it will be very hard for anyone who sees the beauty of mes aynak , and the corruption going on , to still think mining this site will be beneficial for the country , ” he says .
: watch the film here on july 1 - # savemesaynak day in afghanistan ? watch for free ! watch the broadcast on witness - al jazeera at 20 gmt on al jazeera english . see the beauty of mes aynak , and take a stand to stop its destruction . www . savingmesaynak . com .
saving mesaynak , which had a world premiere at the international documentary film festival 2014 , exposes the plans ofchina metallurgical group corporation ( mcc ) , a chinese state - owned mining company , to turn a 5 , 000 archeological siteinto a copper mine , destroying old buddhist relics .
is celebrating a successful year of reaching audiences all over the world , raising global awareness about the contentious fate of the mes aynak historic site . 2016 is shaping up to be an even bigger year for our film and its awareness and outreach campaign , as we can now announce fresh funding and distribution partners .
buried in the copper - rich mountains , today mes aynak is contended by the archeologists on one side and by a chinese mining consortium , that bought the entire site for 3 billion of dollars . every day many brave archaeologists risk their lives to reach the site , facing the taliban and local politics’ threats .
who knows what still lays hidden , buried under a mountain of sand and earth ? at the heart of the silk road , mes aynak was a melting pot of asian and middle eastern cultures where travellers and buddhists on pilgrimages could trade their wares , exchange cultural perspectives and even worship together at the same location .
sadly , when the taliban blew up the buddhas of bamiyan , people were horrified and shocked and it really rallied them . however , it was too late . my fear is that the same thing will happen with mes aynak , that there will be silence until it is destroyed and then there will be outrage .
“afghanistan is the wild west with so much corruption , ” huffman said . “what i don’t like about the argument of mining ‘responsibly’ and ‘preserving’ cultural sites is that in the end it won’t be good for afghanistan . the money will be lost in corruption , the high - level jobs will go to the chinese , and the locals will get the low paid slave labor jobs . plus , the toxins left over from mining will be in the ground permanently . advocates for mes aynak have tried to get cooperation between the mining and cultural preservation but it doesn’t seem that anyone involved sees any value in the mes aynak site . ”
saving mes aynak world premiered in november 2014 at idfa , the world’s largest documentary festival , and debuted in the us in 2015 at american documentary film festival in palm springs and at full frame documentary festival . it has won festivals wards in the us and in iran , and was praised as “advocacy filmmaking at its best… unique and immediate , ” by indiewire . following # savemesaynak day , the film will be broadcast in a number of countries around the world , including on al jazeera america and al jazeera english , and will be available to screen to a combination of educational institutions and community venues .
i want to go back and present the film personally in afghanistan , but even if that is not possible we want the film to be seen there above all else . this is our gift to the people of afghanistan , but also a challenge to those with the power to reverse this decision and save mes aynak .
follows archaeologist qadir temori as he races against time to save this 5 , 000 - year - old buddhist archeological site from imminent demolition . so far only 10 % of mes aynak has been excavated , though , and some believe that future discoveries there have the potential to redefine the history of afghanistan and the history of buddhism itself .
a petition to president hamid karzai requests the preservation of the ancient site of mes aynak . here ' s a link to the petition . another petition sponsored by the association for protection of afghan archaeology ( apaa ) with more than 13 , 000 signatures asks unesco to include mess aynak , afghanistan , on the endangered sites and the world heritage list . afghanistan ratified unesco ' s 1970 convention in 1979 . two cultural sites are listed on the world heritage list : cultural landscape and archaeological remains of the bamiyan valley ( 2003 ) and minaret and archaeological remains of jam ( 2002 ) . here ' s a link to the penn museum blog with a post about mess aynak .
a chinese state - owned mining company plans to demolish the site to harvest an estimated $ 100 billion worth of copper buried directly beneath the archaeological ruins . but only 10 percent of mes aynak has been excavated , and some believe future discoveries at the site have the potential to redefine the history of afghanistan and the history of buddhism itself .
mes aynak is the living proof of an ancient and golden past , in which the region was the meeting place of people from different cultures and faiths . a place at the heart of the silk road and today protected by 200 armed guards . in the last years the site has been looted and today it is under the government custody .
documentary filmmaker brent e . huffman will return to mes aynak this december for what some archaeologists call the ‘funeral’ of the ancient site which will be cratered to extract copper ( valued at over 100 billion dollars ) underground , potentially setting a dangerous precedent for other ancient sites on top of gold , copper , oil and coal mines in afghanistan .
an archaeologist’s race against time to save a 2000 - year - old buddhist archaeological site in afghanistan threatened by a chinese copper mine and taliban attacks . only 10 % of mes aynak has been excavated and experts believe future discoveries have the potential to redefine the history of afghanistan and of buddhism itself . a conflict between cultural preservation and economic opportunity .
“my documentary finishes in december which feels like the definitive end to the site , ” huffman said . “i started out with the goal of capturing what is there and to record the difficult process of salvaging objects . but i have come to hope that maybe i can help raise awareness to actually save mes aynak , or at least postpone its destruction . ”
“i want to go back and present the film personally in afghanistan , but even if that is not possible we want the film to be seen there above all else , ” says mr . huffman . “this is our gift to the people of afghanistan , but also a challenge to those with the power to reverse this decision and save mes aynak . ”
“i want to go back and present the film personally in afghanistan , but even if that is not possible we want the film to be seen there above all else . this is our gift to the people of afghanistan , but also a challenge to those with the power to reverse this decision and save mes aynak , ” said huffman in a statement .
the same tragic fate will soon happen to mes aynak unless we take immediate action . we have the power to stop this senseless destruction . it is my duty both as a filmmaker and as a global citizen to get this film seen by a massive global audience that can put pressure on the afghan government to stop mining and save this incredible site for future generations .
the alliance for the restoration of cultural heritage ( arch international ) explains in a video the cultural importance of the monasteries and fortifications of mess aynak and the other pottery and jewelry found at this 5 , 000 site . the organization asks that responsible mining methods be used to help preserve the most important archaeological sites . here in a cnn video , documentary filmmaker brent e . huffman also shows the archaeological digs at mes aynak which will be closed in december . according to mr . huffman , it would take 30 - 35 years to properly excavate this site .
: there’s a petition on my facebook page with almost 70 , 000 signatures , but i think the best thing would be if a celebrity or politician would speak up and say that the us should work to preserve mes aynak . i think that would really rally support . i think if we could get hundreds of thousands of signatures — that would really save the site .
on the website and the facebook fan page people can be updated about the situation and finding out how to get involved in this important rescue mission , because if until today mes aynak is survived it’s also thanks to the work of people like brent e . huffman , archeologists like qadir temori but also of people around the world that with their support showed their love for afghanistan .
this is a film that is optimistic for a better future for afghanistan , a country plagued by over 30 years of perpetual war , yet containing one of the richest cultural histories in the world . this documentary is dedicated to afghan archaeologists , like qadir temori , who face constant threats from the taliban , private industry , and their own government to save the ancient archaeological site mes aynak .
director brent e . huffman has been unable to return to afghanistan since he finished production . filming solo at the mes aynak site , he received kidnapping and death threats from the taliban , who control the area . the film shows that several archeologists have also faced violence and even been killed while working at the site . extensive looting of priceless buddhist relics is regularly taking place and corruption is rampant .
“the resilience of this site amazes me , ” huffman said . “it has been through so much as a major hub on the silk road . the murals and statues are so fragile and yet they have survived harsh winters , floods and snow and fighting amidst land mines and rocket attacks . yet mes aynak still manages to survive and pull people in who fall in love with it and want to save it . ”
in its day , the ancient city of mes aynak was a wonder of temples , monasteries , monuments and statuary . located in the mountains about 90 minutes east of kabul , in afghanistan , this important silk road hub bears hellenistic , persian , central asian , tibetan , indian and chinese influences . it ' s peak was between the 5th and 7th centuries ad , when buddhism was on the rise throughout the hindu kush .
mes aynak , a 5 , 000 year - old treasure trove over 500 , 000 square meters in size , is truly one of the unseen wonders of the world . comparable to pompeii and machu picchu , these sprawling ruins feature hundreds of life - size or larger buddha statues , dozens of temples , hidden caverns and thousands of priceless artifacts like birch - bark manuscripts , gold and copper coins , jewelry and intricate hand painted murals .
exposes a chinese company ' s plan to turn a 5 , 000 year - old archeological site in afghanistan into a copper mine , destroying priceless buddhist relics . a team of afghan archeologists led by qadir temori races against time to uncover finds that have the potential to rewrite the history of the region . brent e . huffman ' s award - winning documentary has become a focal point of an international movement to preserve the mes aynak site .
huffman : that’s sort of when things get complicated . i’m sure the site was known about before this , but the first written evidence that the site was traveled to was in the 1960s by french archaeologists . i don’t know if there was any significant study of the site at the time . the site was left completely unprotected . no protection or way to visit the site was ever put in place , so mes aynak has been heavily looted since the 1960s .
huffman plans to return to mes aynak in december . “in october there will be some 3 - d reconstruction work and i will send someone to film that if i can’t go . i will be there in december for what the archaeologists call the ‘funeral’ and i hope we can stop it from happening . there is something so disrespectful about blowing up the site . it’s troubling to have no reverence for the past as if someone is looting your grandparents’ cemetery . ”
mining , originally slated to begin this year , has been delayed by several factors , including the documentary film , security and the chinese economy . “but the afghan ministry of mines is still pushing for mining to happen as soon as possible and the site is still under threat , ” huffman said . “my work and the film’s work – to raise awareness and save mes aynak – is still not done . but i will never give up the effort or give up hope . ”
“my fear is that mes aynak will be a precedent and that every site with gold , copper , oil or iron underneath will also be dealt with by this same standard . this is what happens to cultural heritage . this bronze age site will be gone when the mountain range is destroyed and all the afghans will be left with is a toxic crater that will pollute the river and the environment . the future of afghanistan will be a rush job of leaving polluted craters that will destroy the environment and the cultural heritage . ”
“most afghans don’t know that this is happening because there’s been no coverage in the local media , ” huffman said . “americans think of afghanistan is terrorists or victims or terrorism but it’s not that – afghans are warm , friendly and open - minded people . the buddhist sites are a testimony to afghanistan’s past . the taliban are an external force that destroyed the buddhas of bamiyan and now the chinese mining company will do the same thing at mes aynak . afghans need someone like unesco to push back against these money deals that don’t care about cultural heritage , but this is not happening today . ”
will calhoun interviewed brent huffman in the two - part article ,
the race to save mes aynak
( fair observer , feb . 1 and feb . 2 ) . brent e . huffman , an associate professor at northwestern university’s medill school of journalism , has been working on a documentary film about the site ( see previous posts on the arca blog ) . huffman has been awarded a grant from the macarthur foundation to complete his documentary , hopefully by this summer . what can people do ? huffman tells calhoun that celebrity appeal would be helpful . here ' s an excerpt from the interview :
will be streaming on netflix . this is a major opportunity for the film to be seen by american audiences and is now available with spanish subtitles , making it easier to share at bilingual workplaces and schools . the brent huffman - directed film has won 25 awards in total since it’s release in 2014 including both the grand prize and audience prize at the 2016 icronos film festival . for even more features , purchase the dvd , which includes 15 minutes of never - seen - before scenes from mes aynak , as well as closed captions and foreign language subtitles in french , german , italian , and japanese .
the mes anyak archaeological site was rediscovered in the 1960s . researchers now believe the site not only provides artifacts from the 1st through the 5th centuries but also going back to the bronze age . the 400 , 000 square meter site was never fully excavated or protected from looting during the decades of almost continuous fighting in afghanistan .