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17th International Archaeological Film Festival of the Bidasoa

FICAB_2017

Awards

  • Grand Prize of the Festival: "Genghis Khan’s tomb, the secret revealed " by Cédric Robion.
  • Special Audience Prize: "Cervantes: the search" by Javier Balaguer.
  • Arkeolan Prize for Contribution to Science: "The British Bronze Age Pompeii" by Sarah Jobling.
  • Special Mention of the Jury: "Light under the earth: the destruction of Cholula" by Juan Manuel Ramírez Hermoso.

Every year Bidasoa International Archaeological Film Festival receives an average of 70 competing films from all corners of the world. The selection process is a complicated and complex task which strives to put together a rich and varied programme. The result is divergent: some documentaries last only a few minutes, while others are feature films. Many of the proposals are backed by large producers or powerful research projects, whereas others are small-scale projects which are nevertheless brimming with enthusiasm. They deal with diverse themes, disparate cultures and very different timeframes, although they all share Archaeology as the starting point.

Interestingly, despite the varying nature of the resulting programme, every year there are certain topics or issues that converge and stand out. This should not be surprising if we remember that archaeological research is conditioned in many cases by economic factors, socio-political interests or epistemological trends that lead to a wide range of subjects being researched. Indeed in this 2017 edition, even though the image of the festival takes us to ancient Greece, with those archaic sculptures peeking out in front of the Parthenon, the classical world is barely represented. And there are two concerns that appear repeatedly: the Neanderthal "question" and the cultures of the Far East. While the first case deals with the controversial issue of coexistence between Sapiens and Neanderthals or symbolic capacity in Neanderthals, the journey to the confines of Asia allows us to delve into Genghis Khan, the Mongolian Empire or the splendours of the Han dynasty.

In addition to Mongolia´s beautiful landscapes, there will be others that are no less exotic, such as those of South Africa or the Brazilian rainforest. However, the FICAB is not just an aesthetic exercise or a process involving playful and visual learning, but rather is a tool for reflection on what Archaeology is and the challenges it currently faces. Does archaeological science have a time limit? Are there historical periods which are "worthier" of being excavated than others? Is antiquity a determining factor in order to qualify a place as archaeological? Is any space in which human beings have left material testimonies susceptible to being excavated? These are the questions raised, almost as a provocation, by one of the competing documentaries, "Soul Skin". The documentary shows a series of archaeologists excavating the set of a 1970s French film, "Donkey Skin", a musical tale directed by the renowned Jacques Demy. This film will be shown in the closing session rather than as part of the competition. Archaeological heritage is not an immutable concept that exists per se, but rather it is we who create heritage from our past, deciding what should or should not be preserved. In this regard, the FICAB offers a rich look at those heritages which, while we may not be able to visit them, can still be experienced first-hand through the fantastic tool we use: cinema.


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Programa_FICAB2017.pdf

technical information

FICAB XVII
Year: 2017
Data:: 20th-25th of November

Organising Committee

Juncal Eizaguirre. Delegada de Cultura del Ayuntamiento de Irun.
Josean Ruiz de Azúa. Director del área de Cultura y Deportes del Ayuntamiento de Irun.
Cristina Aguirre. Gerente del Museo Romano Oiasso.

Direction

María José Noain. Head of Activities of the Oiasso Roman Museum.

Educational Section

Itsaso Bikuña. Idoia Castro. Education Department.

Jury

President:

Pilar Fatás. Directora del Museo Nacional y Centro de Investigación de Altamira.

Vocals:

Françoise Fontaine. Directora de Malagne - Arqueoparque de Rochefort, Bélgica.
Asun Lasarte. Directora de producción en Morgancrea.
Txema Muñoz. Responsable del programa Kimuak, Filmoteca Vasca.
Francisco Javier San Martín. Doctor en Comunicación Social de la Ciencia e investigador de la Universidad de País Vasco.

  • PROGRAM

Monday, 20 November 2017

19:00. Festival opening ceremony

  

19:30. The last journey of Infanta Doña Leonor. Production: Visor Audiovisual S.L.. Direction: Cid, Víctor. España, 2016, 25. Language: Castellano.

Dona_Leonor

A team of researchers find what appear to be the mortal remains of the daughter of Alfonso X the Wise, the King of Castile in the 13th century, in a convent in Caleruega (Burgos). Scientists and restaurateurs work to confirm that they are indeed the remains of Infanta Leonor, recovering them and reconstructing what they believe the original tomb was like. They hope this research will provide an answer to some historical gaps of this period.
  
20:00. Cervantes: the search. Production: Troto Int.. Direction: Balaguer, Javier. España, 2016, 79. Language: Castellano.

Cervantes

Year 2015: scientists and historians unravel the secrets hidden by the tomb of Miguel de Cervantes, the greatest ever writer of Spanish language. They will try to resolve where the remains of the famous writer are found, which they will do through a rigorous, fascinating account which has been put together using the only images that exist of the excavations, along with the testimonies of people who played a part in and witnessed the event. Even Miguel de Cervantes, magnificently interpreted by Ramón Barea, will tell his own story.
  

Tuesday, 21 November 2017

11:00. In search of the lost future. Production: Turkana Films. Direction: Par, Alfonso. España, 2016, 60. Language: Castellano.

En_busca_futuro_perdido

Carlota is 18 years old and has just finished high school. Like so many other young people, she does not know what to do with her future. Her uncle Luís invites her to take part in a journey led by the famous archaeologist Eudald Carbonell, which will take them across four continents in search of the milestones that have marked the origin of civilisations. This fascinating journey will allow you to discover why the world is facing a crisis like the one we are experiencing today.
  
17:00. The Bruniquel Neanderthal. Production: CNRS Images. Direction: Fage, Luc-Henry. Francia, 2016, 8. Language: Francés.

Neandertal_Bruniquel

The recent discovery of a series of broken stalagmites placed in a circle in Bruniquel Cave in south-eastern France indicates that humans began to dwell in caves much earlier than previously believed. These anthropic structures are among the oldest in human history. Moreover, the remains of fire show that Neanderthals knew how to light up closed, dark spaces even before Homo Sapiens did.
  
17:10. More than just a mirror. Production: The Oxfordshire Museum. Direction: Woodward, Sharon. Gran Bretaña, 2015, 9. Language: Inglés.

More_than_mirror

In 2006, an extraordinary piece was discovered in Oxfordshire (Great Britain): a decorated mirror around 2000 years old, dated from the Iron Age. Oxfordshire Museum has completed extensive research, taking metallurgical samples to know the origins of the mirror and its possible relation to another very similar one found some 60 kilometres away. What significance could this enigmatic object have? Perhaps a ritual use related to the magical beliefs of ancient Britons?
  
17:20. The traveller from the North. Production: Akhet. Direction: Stevanon, Alessandro. Italia, 2016, 8. Language: Italiano.

Viagattore_Nord

A simple pile of stones, seen through the eyes of an archaeologist, can represent an exceptional discovery which is capable of rewriting the history of an entire territory. This is what happened recently during work to upgrade Aosta Hospital in Italy, where a tomb measuring 18 metres in diameter has been found, identified as the prestigious tomb of a Celtic warrior, dated in the 7th century B.C.
  
17:30. Palermo Museum and its future. Production: Museo Archeologico Antonino Salinas. Direction: Gambino, Davide. Italia, 2016, 12. Language: Italiano.

Museo_Palermo

Antonio Salinas Archaeological Museum in the Sicilian city of Palermo is one of the oldest and most prestigious in Italy. After years of renovation, the museum's collection will finally be shown to the public. Moreover, we will be led by a very special guide during our visit to the past, present and future of the institution.
  
17:40. The mysterious blocks of Bordeaux. Production: CNRS Images. Direction: Lacharney, Juliette. Francia, 2016, 5. Language: Francés.

Mysterieux_blocs_Bordeaux

Dominique Tardy and Jean-Jacques Malmary, members of the French Institute for Research on Ancient Architecture, have identified the origin of certain architectural blocks discovered in Bordeaux while the walls were being dismantled in the 19th century. These 400 pieces, a large part of which are preserved and exhibited in Aquitaine Museum, have been a mystery for a very long time, given the lack of historical context and the difficulty in establishing which monument they came from.
  
17:45. Eye and stone. Production: CNRS Images. Direction: Dalaise, Marcel. Francia, 2017, 38. Language: Francés.

Oeil_pierre

Doctors in ancient Rome prepared oculist stamps, small stones etched with the names of the oculist and the remedies they used. Muriel Labonnelie is a specialist in ancient medicine who has studied these curious, seemingly insignificant pieces, which have allowed her to uncover extensive information on the history of Roman medicine.
  
18:25. The forgotten city of Loropeni. Production: CNRS Images. Direction: Baker, Nicolas. Francia, 2016, 7. Language: Francés.

Loropeni

Discovered in 1902, the thousand-year-old Loropeni ruins represent the only evidence of fortified architecture in the African region of Lobi in Burkina Faso. An international research team has set up a multidisciplinary research process in order to try and cast light on the secrets which surround this archaeological site and its history.
  
19:00. Neanderthal twilight. Production: YN Productions. Direction: Hope, Rob. Francia, 2015, 52. Language: Francés.

Crepusculo_Neandertal

After 25 years of archaeological research in the Rhône Valley, a series of unexpected discoveries have brought our knowledge of prehistory and settlements in Europe into question. Who were the Neronian people? A new emerging Neanderthal society, or the first known expression of Modern Man? In this film we will follow a multidisciplinary CNRS team led by Ludovic Slimak.
  
19:50. In the eyes of Cromagnon. Production: Passé Simple. Direction: Azéma, Marc. Francia, 2015, 8. Language: Sin locución.

Yeux_Cromagnon

In this film, viewers take the place of a young prehistoric woman and move through an imaginary cave where galleries and masterpieces of European prehistoric art appear: Chauvet, Lascaux, Niaux, El Castillo, Pech Merle, Cougnac, Foz Coa... Suddenly, the animals drawn on the walls come to life by torchlight... A short film to get swept away by the beauty of Palaeolithic art.
  
20:00. The British Bronze Age Pompeii. Production: ARTE France. Production: 360 Productions. Direction: Jobling, Sarah. Gran Bretaña, 2016, 69. Language: Francés.

Pompei_Britannique

In England, a team of scientists works on the remains of a Bronze Age village, known as Must Farm. The dwellings and the materials have been so well conserved that it has been dubbed "The British Pompeii". Inhabitants of the place, preserved thanks to it being a marshy area, extensively practised a flourishing agriculture and traded with other European peoples, demonstrating that exchanging goods was very much the norm in this prehistoric period.
  

Wednesday, 22 November 2017

11:00. A history of 29,000 years: imagined recreation of the Lapedo Child's burial. Production: Arqueohoje. Direction: Vilhena, Diogo. Portugal, 2015, 4. Language: Sin locución.

Nio_Lapedo

In Abrigo do Lagar Velho-Lapedo (Portugal) 29,000 years ago, a child was buried in a meticulous, complex ritual, wrapped in a shroud stained with red ochre. The film recreates the moment of the burial of the so-called Lapedo Child, thanks to the evidence obtained over the course of the archaeological excavation. Multidisciplinary studies carried out on the skeleton have shown that it constitutes one of the most important discoveries in the evolution of mankind.
  
11:05. Handpas. The hands of the past. Production: Libre Producciones. Direction: Camello Manzano, José. España, 2016, 32. Language: Castellano.

Handpas

Hand imprints in rock art are perhaps one of the oldest forms of expression created by humans and their symbolic capacity. In this documentary, leading experts on Palaeolithic art tell us about their chronology, interpretation and conservation. At the same time, Palaeolithic lifeforms have been recreated based on archaeological evidence and experimental work in an attempt to return to this world of transition which dates back 40,000 years, where two fundamental species for our history coexisted: Neanderthals and Sapiens.
  
11:35. Art on stone. Production: Elhuyar Fundazioa. Direction: Alvarez, Inma Direction: Errazquin, Maddalen. España, 2016, 15. Language: Castellano.

Arte_sobre_piedra

Mankind's oldest works of art are found in Palaeolithic cave manifestations. Northern Spain is characterised by being one of the richest areas in paintings and engravings from this period. Caves such as Santimamiñe, Atxurra and Ekain, in the Basque Country, and Castillo cave, in Cantabria, house an immense collection of artistic testimonies. Archaeologists and speleologists strive to find works which have remained hidden for thousands of years as they carefully study cave art.
  
17:00. Soul Skin. Production: Look at Sciences. Direction: Levy, Pierre Oscar. Francia, 2017, 91. Language: Francés.

Peau_DAme

The film "Donkey Skin", directed by Jacques Demy in 1970, is a French cinema classic that recreates Jacques Perrault's renowned story. Archaeologist Oliver Weller, fascinated by the film he saw in his childhood, decides to excavate the film set and bring some scenarios back to life, such as the cabin where Catherine Deneuve took refuge. But "Donkey Skin" is much more than an excavation or a musical film: we will travel to the origins of Perrault's narrative and oral traditions.
  
19:00. Genghis Khan’s tomb, the secret revealed. Production: Agat Films. Direction: Robion, Cédric. Francia, 2016, 90. Language: Francés.

Gengis_Kan

Since the 13th century, successive generations of explorers, scientists and historians have been fascinated by an intriguing archaeological mystery: Where is Genghis Khan’s tomb? Documentary sources lead us to think that the remains of the greatest conqueror in history are hidden away somewhere in Mongolia. But what does Archaeology say?

  
20:30. China, the lost treasures of the Han Dynasty. Production: ARTE France. Production: Lion TV. Direction: Bremner, Ian. Francia, 2014, 52. Language: Francés.

China

The Han Dynasty ruled in China from the 3rd century B.C. to the 3rd century A.D. with a series of emperors who lived in an extremely rich, sophisticated environment. Although many of their tombs have been looted, recent finds in burial grounds point to the flourishing of this Empire, enriched by the Silk Road trade routes. The sovereigns were buried inside magnificent mausoleums among jade, gold, silk, precious jewels and, occasionally, miniature terra cotta armies.
  

Thursday, 23 November 2017

11:00. Handa and Woopa. Production: Passé Simple. Production: MSK Productions. Direction: Kowalczyk, Stéphane Direction: Rivère, Florent. Francia, 2017, 40. Language: Sin locución.

Handa_Woopa

What was an ordinary day like in the life of a Palaeolithic hunter? What resources did they count on to adapt to the harsh weather conditions of the environment? This film tells the adventures of Handa, the best walker of the Pyrenean clan; Tora, the tanner; and Woopa, his dog. The three of them have set out to search for new hunting grounds, at a time when large herbivores have left the mountain, which is taken over by increasingly tall trees.
  
11:40. Outeiro da Chan da Isca. A new petroglyph in Campo Lameiro. Direction: Santiago, Lukas Direction: . España, 2016, 14. Language: Gallego.

Outeiro_Chan_Isca

The Galician petroglyphs are a hugely important part of prehistoric heritage. This documentary follows the recent discovery of new testimonies in Outeiro da Chan da Isca, very close to Campo Lameiro Rock Art Archaeological Park. Accompanied by archaeologists, we will follow the research methodology of these artistic manifestations.
  
11:55. Romanisation, government and territory. Production: Que Cena. Production: Glorybox. Direction: Pereira, Sérgio. Portugal, 2017, 6. Language: Castellano.

Romanizacao

By the end of the 1st century B.C., coinciding with the end of the Peninsular Wars and with the Roman administrative organization, Conimbriga became the centre of a vast territory in Portugal. Its location attracted people with new habits and knowledge, leading to an unprecedented level of development. Law and language were fundamental to the emergence of a sense of community and to the reaffirmation of Rome.

  
12:00. A walk around Nemausus. Production: Passé Simple. Direction: Azéma, Marc. Francia, 2016, 10. Language: Sin locusión.

Promenade_Nemausus

This contemplative animated film allows us to visit the Roman city of Nîmes through the illustrations of Jean-Claude Golvin, a specialist in restoring ancient monuments. Viewers move through the artist's watercolours, which show the most iconic monuments of the ancient city of Nemausus through 2D and 3D animation techniques: the Tour Magne, the Maison Carrée, the Amphitheatre or the Temple of Diana, to mention just a few.

  
17:00. The cross and the crown. Production: Media Promocja. Direction: Cozac, Zdzislaw. Polonia, 2016, 52. Language: Castellano.

Cross_Crown

How did Christianity spread through medieval Poland, ruled by the first princes of the Piast Dynasty? How did they leave behind the pagan world and became a strong state, a member of the Christian community? Archaeology and History go hand in hand in this documentary, which features spectacular recreations, to discover the origins of the Kingdom of Poland.
  
17:50. Quivira: conquistadors on the plains. Production: Archaeological Legacy Institute. Direction: Greyhavens, Teal. Estados Unidos, 2016, 28. Language: Inglés.

Quivira

Four centuries ago, Spanish conquerors searched in vain for the riches of the lands of North America, where they found a remarkable American civilisation which would later become forgotten. After reviewing an ancient Spanish document and a long-ignored map, an archaeologist launches an archaeological prospecting project in Kansas in order to test out a new interpretation. The aim: to identify the scene of the Battle of Quivira, between natives and conquerors, in the year 1601.

  
19:00. My house in Boroo Gol: five Swiss archaeologists in Mongolia. Production: Mongol Production. Direction: Briner, Caroline. Suiza, 2013, 72. Language: Francés.

Maison_Boroo_gol

Deep in the Mongolian steppe, without electricity or running water, five Swiss archaeologists excavated a 2000-year-old settlement, accompanied by researchers from Ulan Bator. The archaeological campaign immerses us in the daily life of this settlement and its semi-buried dwellings. It is an immersion in the way of life of both Mongols today and also the ancient Xiongnus, forming a spatial and temporal journey for scientists in which they will discover their own identity.

  
20:10. An amazing discovery in Brazil: the first Americans. Production: Peter Prestel Filmproduktion. Direction: Prestel, Peter Direction: Weisheit, Saskia Direction: . Alemania, 2016, 44. Language: Alemán.

Terra_X

Based on the excavation of hundreds of prehistoric sites in the Brazilian region of Piauí, the Brazilian palaeoanthropologist Niède Guidon suggests settlement in America took place thousands of years before what is currently believed. She has also suggested that the first settlers arrived by boat rather than via the Bering Strait. Although the scientific community has doubted her results for many years, Guidon has nevertheless won the support of several European teams that have come to the conclusion that her theory is indeed correct.

  

Friday, 24 November 2017

11:00. In search of the perfect curiara. Production: Reto Caribe Films. Direction: Bottome, David. Venezuela, 2016, 12. Language: Castellano.

Curiara

A thousand years ago, Amerindians living in the Lake of Valencia basin in Venezuela sailed on the open sea in wooden canoes called curiaras. They travelled for almost 150 kilometres on single journeys, sailing continuously for 40 hours. An enthusiastic team prepares to recreate the construction and use of these boats. During the process they will discover how the traditional way of making a curiara is in danger of extinction.

  
11:10. El Castillón. Production: Video Coria. Direction: Asociación Científico-Cultural Zamora Protohistórica. España, 2016, 35. Language: Castellano.

Castillon

El Castillón is an enclave located on the banks of the river Esla, in the province of Zamora. Archaeological findings to date have highlighted the importance of this enclave, located on the border between the Suebi and Visigothic kingdoms, showing the development and evolution of this village between the 5th and 6th centuries A.D. The research carried out has focused on two fundamental aspects: scientific work and dissemination.

  
11:45. Light under the earth: the destruction of Cholula. Direction: Ramírez Hermoso, Juan Manuel Direction: . México, 2016, 20. Language: Castellano.

Luz_Bajo_tierra_Cholula

The Government of Mexico develops a shopping mall on the archaeological site of Cholula, jeopardising a hugely important part of local heritage. The unlawful work carried out threatens the preservation of a rich heritage which local inhabitants wish to protect, with many of them suffering from government repression for their opposition to the project.

  
17:00. Jorge Bonsor's Great Tour. Production: MLK Producciones. Direction: Lobo, Antonio. España, 2016, 67. Language: Castellano.

Gran_Tour_Bonsor

At the start of the 20th century, many European researchers settled in southern Spain as they wanted to be pioneers in the most fashionable science at the time: Archaeology. It was Jorge Bonsor who best embodied this bohemian spirit, passing from trafficker to protector and disseminator of heritage. Following in his steps, we will visit some of the most important sites in Andalusia, such as the Roman necropolis of Carmona, the site of Baelo Claudia, and Mairena Castle.

  
18:05. Faces of Etruscans. Production: Historia: Associazione per la conservazione e la Divulgazione dei Beni Culturali d’Italia. Direction: Badel, Alan. Italia, 2017, 33. Language: Italiano.

Facce_etrusco

A set of funerary vessels with modelled human faces appeared in the Etruscan necropolis of Tolle in Tuscany. These canopic jars and their detailed portraits tell us about society and people of the Tolle in the 7th century B.C. More than a thousand burial grounds excavated, and at least another two thousand as yet undiscovered. A missing city. A journey back in time narrated by the archaeologist Giulio Paolucci, director of the excavations, and by the ancient Etruscans.
  
19:00. Dating the origins of art. Production: Passé Simple. Direction: Azéma, Marc. Francia, 2016, 26. Language: Francés.

Dater_origines_art

A team of archaeologists from Bordeaux travels to South Africa with a specific goal: to date the oldest vestiges of artistic activity in the history of mankind. Surrounded by magnificent African landscapes, travelling from the Atlantic coast to the shores of the Pacific and from the desert to the tropical forest, we will journey through one of the most ancient territories occupied by Homo sapiens as we search to date the oldest representations of symbolic thought.

  
19:30. Bonaparte: the Egypt campaign. Discoveries. Production: ARTE France. Production: Docside Zed. Direction: Hourlier, Fabrice. Francia, 2016, 52. Language: Francés.

Bonaparte

May 1798: Napoleon embarks on his eastern dream and disembarks in Egypt –the cradle of civilization– with a contingent of soldiers, sailors and intellectuals. Once the country was pacified, the so-called "savants" (scientists who accompanied the troops) were finally able to discover the archaeological wonders hidden in the country. However, while the expedition headed south, Syria's military campaign stagnated. After three years of work, the political and military events forced these pioneers of Egyptology to return to France.

  
20:20. Statues move in Alexandria. Production: Centre d´Etudes Alexandrines. Direction: Collet, Raymond. Egipto, 2016, 34. Language: Francés.

Statue_Alexandrie

In Alexandria, the statues move. As do the obelisks. The Ptolemy kings, who ruled Egypt in the Hellenistic period, borrowed them to adorn their new capital, in the same way the Roman emperors later did. These millenary stones travelled to Rome, London and New York, where they are found today. However, the city of Alexandria was not only adorned with magnificent statues in ancient times; rather, this tradition has continued to this day, with the statues appearing and disappearing throughout the history of the city.

  
Festival Internacional de
Cine Arqueologico del Bidasoa
Museo Romano Oiasso
Eskoleta, 1. 20302 Irun
Tfno.: (+34) 943-63 93 53
E-mail: ficab.oiasso@irun.org
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Diario Vasco

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