# Saving Mes Aynak

Saving Mes Aynak is a 2014 independent documentary film, directed, produced, shot and edited by Brent E. Huffman. It was produced out of Kartemquin Films, the landmark Chicago-based documentary house, along with producer Zak Piper.
It focuses on Afghan archaeologist Qadir Temori and his struggle to save Mes Aynak, a 5,000-year-old archaeological site in Afghanistan which faces demolition. Saving Mes Aynak was the 2014 recipient of a MacArthur Foundation Grant in 2014.
Saving Mes Aynak premiered at the International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam in November 2014. It later aired on Al Jazeera America and Al Jazeera English networks in July 2015 and was also broadcast on multiple other networks in various countries. In 2016, Saving Mes Aynak premiered on Netflix.
"Saving Mes Aynak" has won over 30 major awards and has been broadcast on television in over 70 countries. It can currently be seen on Netflix, iTunes, Amazon, Google Play and on Special Edition DVD with Icarus Films. The film was directed by Brent E. Huffman. He was awarded The International Academic Forum Documentary Film Award and Reva and David Logan Foundation Grant in 2015 in part for his work on the film.

## Synopsis

Saving Mes Aynak examines the archaeological site of Mes Aynak. Though 90% of the site has yet to be excavated, it is threatened by a Chinese state-owned mining company. The copper mining planned there would completely demolish the archaeological site, as well as the surrounding mountain range. Qadir Temori and other Afghan archaeologists must rally against not only the Chinese government, but also the Taliban and local politics to save the historic site.

## Save Mes Aynak Day

The filmmakers of Saving Mes Aynak created a "Save Mes Aynak Day" on July 1, 2015 in efforts to promote the preservation of Mes Aynak and the film. The film's director, Brent Huffman, met with Afghan leaders and presented them with a petition signed by 100,000 people favoring site preservation. Huffman also provided the leaders with copies of the film.

## Awards and festivals

Saving Mes Aynak continues to screen in theaters, museums, universities across the globe—to the Louvre, Museum of World Culture in Sweden, The National Museum of the Czech Republic, the Rubin Museum of Art NYC, Seattle Art Museum — educating the public across the globe on the issues of cultural heritage, struggles and devotion of archaeologists.
| Institution | Country | Category | Year |
| International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam | Netherlands | Official Selection | 2014 |
| Festival International de Programmes Audiovisuels | France | Official Selection | 2015 |
| 18th International Vera Film Festival | Finland | Official Selection | 2015 |
| Millenium International Documentary Film Festival | Belgium | Official Selection | 2015 |
| Full Frame Documentary Film Festival | USA | Official Selection | 2015 |
| American Documentary Film Festival | USA | Official Selection | 2015 |
| Ahvaz International Science Film Festival | Iran | Best Director | 2015 |
| Archaeology Channel International Film and Video Festival | USA | Best Film Best Public Education Value | 2015 |
| The International Academic Forum Documentary Film Award | Japan | IDFA Honorary Award | 2015 |
| IAFOR Film Asia 2015 and Media Asia 2015 Conference | Japan | Featured Documentary | 2015 |
| CinemAmbiente International Environmental Film Festival | Italy | Best Film One-Hour International | 2015 |
| Arkhaios Archaeology and Cultural Heritage Festival | USA | Grand Prize Audience Award | 2015 |
| Dokufest (International Documentary & Short Film Festival) | Republic Of Kosovo | Official Selection | 2015 |
| International Human Rights Film Festival | Albania | Official Selection | 2015 |
| The Oriental Institute at University of Chicago | USA | Official Selection | 2015 |
| Ho Center For Buddhist Studies at Stanford University | USA | Official Selection | 2015 |
| Carnegie Endowment For International Peace | USA | Official Selection | 2015 |
| Yale Himalaya Institute | USA | Official Selection | 2015 |
| Náprstek Museum Of Asian, African And American Cultures | Czech Republic | Official Selection | 2016 |
| Louvre - Journées Internationales du Film sur L’Art | France | Official Selection | 2016 |
| Doku.Arts Film Festival: Architecture in Motion | Germany | Official Selection | 2015 |
| Gardner Center For Asian Art And Ideas at Seattle Art Museum | USA | Official Selection | 2016 |
| Habib University | Pakistan | Official Selection | 2016 |
| American University of Afghanistan | Afghanistan | Official Selection | 2016 |
| National Museums of World Culture | Sweden | Official Selection | 2016 |
| Buddhistdoor - University of Hong Kong | Hong Kong | Official Selection | 2016 |
| Festival International du Film sur L'Art (FIFA) | Canada | Official Selection | 2016 |
| San Francisco Green Film Festival | USA | Official Selection | 2016 |
| Chicago International Film Festival TV Awards | USA | Silver Plaque | 2016 |
| Master of Arts Film Festival | Bulgaria | Special Jury Mention | 2016 |
| The 37th Telly Awards | USA | Film/Video Best in Documentary | 2016 |
| The 37th Telly Awards | USA | People's Choice | 2016 |
| American Conservation Film Festival | USA | Green Spark Award | 2016 |
| Life After Oil Film Festival in Sardinia | Italy | Best Documentary Award | 2016 |
| AGON - the 10th International Meeting of Archaeological Film | Greece | Grand Prix | 2016 |
| XVth festival Icronos of Bordeaux | France | Grand Prix & Prix du Public | 2016 |