The Giant Buddhas
- Taysir Alony
- Sayed Hussain Mirza
- Nelofer Pazira
- Zémeryalaï Tarzi
- Xuanzang
In the valley of the giant Buddhas is a documentary film by Swiss director Christian Frei. The film is about the Buddhas of Bamiyan and its destruction on 12 March 2001.
Content
In various documentary narrative strands individual aspects of the presence and the destruction of this important cultural heritage are presented. Filmmakers free tells these stories in the form of letters to the Afghan- Canadian writer Nelofer Pazira, whose father visited the Bamiyan valley in the old Kingdom of Afghanistan as a student in the footsteps of the past. She herself grew up in times of war in Kabul.
Based on its records, the film follows an early Pilgrim, the Chinese monk Xuanzang on the Silk Road from Xi'an to the west over Dunhuang, where he met with the young statues.
It is also investigated the question of why they had chosen for this monumental monuments Bamiyan. The archaeologist Zémeryalaï Tarzi, a professor at the Marc Bloch University in Strasbourg, digs, inspired by Xuanzang records in the Bamiyan valley after a mysterious 300 meters long reclining Buddha. He complained that Afghanistan was robbed by plundering many of its cultural assets, since such objects nor lucrative trade goods as drugs are.
Sayed Mirza Hussain Hazara from Bamiyan is one who has suffered greatly under the rule of the Taliban. After its collapse, he had to leave with his family to the UNESCO protected area and move from its rocky home in a settlement of houses, which is an hour from the nearest water station.
As Arab Al- Jazeera journalist Taysir Alony was an eyewitness to the blast. He wanted to be there when " blockbuster " and deliver sensational pictures, although he also felt guilt. In his view, the whole world wanted to save the statues, however, the fate of Afghanistan, they cared little.
Shortly after the blast in Afghanistan, stonemasons made in China Leshan to a corny copy of the Bamiyan Buddhas. Expertly contrast are the plans of the ETH in Zurich for a reconstruction of the statues on site, which will be welcomed by many Afghans, but could not yet be realized. For the time being, existing fragments are inserted into the niche.
The film ends with the visit Nelofer Paziras at the remains of the destroyed Great Buddha of Bamiyan. She introduces herself as the imposing statue still has a few years earlier looked like.
Background
Scenes on Buddhist art and history were effectively backed by the soundtrack by Philip Glass for the film Kundun.
Awards
- DOK Leipzig 2005: Silver Dove
- Dokufest Prizren 2006: 1st Prize ex aequo
- Trento Film Festival 2006: Silver Gentian
- Tahoe / Reno International Film Festival 2006: Best of the Fest - Documentary
- Sundance Film Festival 2006: Nominated for the Grand Jury Prize for Feature Films Documentaries
- Swiss Film Prize 2006: Nominated for the Swiss Film Prize Quartz in the category " Best Documentary "
- Toronto International Film Festival 2005: Official Selection