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<DIV>To our friends in and near Portland: The best archaeology-related films in
the world are coming to Portland, starting Friday night, January 11. This
is our annual event, ArchaeologyFest Film Series:Best of 2012! Please come
to see some outstanding films and help us support TAC Festival 2013 by enjoying
our PSU mini-Festival at the Fifth Avenue Cinema in Portland for four evenings
(a different 2-hour show each evening), Friday, January 11; Saturday, January
12; Friday, January 18: and Saturday, January 19. These are the top films
from <STRONG><EM>The Archaeology Channel</EM></STRONG> International Film
Festival that took place in Eugene last May. All of them are award-winners
from this international competition. And it's just six bucks for two hours
of sheer enjoyment. Read on below for more details on the schedule and
films. Please spread the word where you can. See the ArchaeologyFest
Web page at <A
title=http://archaeologychannel.org/events-guide/archaeologyfest-film-series-guide
href="http://archaeologychannel.org/events-guide/archaeologyfest-film-series-guide">http://archaeologychannel.org/events-guide/archaeologyfest-film-series-guide</A>
for more information.<BR> <BR>Rick Pettigrew<BR>Archaeological Legacy
Institute<BR><A title=http://www.archaeologychannel.org/
href="http://www.archaeologychannel.org/">www.archaeologychannel.org</A><BR> <BR>******************************************************************************<BR> <BR>ArchaeologyFest
Film Series: <BR>Best of 2012
<DIV align=left> </DIV>
<DIV align=left>A benefit for <STRONG><EM>The Archaeology
Channel<BR></EM></STRONG>International Film and Video Festival</DIV>
<DIV align=left> </DIV>
<DIV align=left>5th Ave. Cinema<BR>510 SW Hall St., Portland<BR>January 11/12
& 18/19, 2013</DIV>
<DIV align=left> </DIV>
<DIV>Doors open at 7 pm and programs begin at 7:30 pm on dates indicated.
Admission $6. Tickets at the door. These are the best films from the
2011 edition of TAC Festival. (The 2013 edition of TAC Festival takes
place in the Recital Hall at The Shedd Institute in downtown Eugene, May 7-11,
2013.)</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><U>Program A: Friday, January 11</U></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>• An Introduction to Contemporary Archaeology (UK) 9
min.<BR> This short film is a short introduction (and a spoof!) to the new
field of “contemporary archaeology.” Dr. Brooklyn Honswoggle-Smythe,
Buckinghamshire New University’s youngest and most brilliant Contemporologist,
guides you through the ins and outs and back-ins of the world of contemporary
archaeology—the new subject everyone’s talking about! Did you know
archaeologists could laugh about themselves? Or should this gibe at the
modern theoretitician be taken seriously at some level? (Honorable Mention
by jury in Best Film competition and for Narration, Public Education Value, and
Inspiration; Special Mention by jury for most innovative representation of
archaeology)</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>• The Lord of Sipan (Spain) 52 min.<BR> This is the story of a
Great Lord of the Moche culture, who was buried with honors so that his message
would endure in time, and an archaeologist named Walter Alva, who rescued this
Lord from his tomb to fulfill his ancient plan. The Moche culture
developed on the northern coast of Peru between 100 BC and AD 400. It is a
mysterious culture that disappeared shortly after reaching its peak. Today,
everyone has heard of the Moche, thanks to the discoveries made during the last
two decades. The discoveries continue, and this unique civilization still
surprises the world. (Audience Favorite)</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>• The Tomb of the Hidden Mummies (Greece) 10 min.<BR> In 1871, in
the cliffs of Deir El Behri near the village of Qurna, not far from Luxor in
Egypt, a young boy called Ahmed El-Rassul accidentally discovered a hidden tomb
in a mountain near his home. Ahmed and his family looted the tomb for over
a decade until their activities became known to the Egyptian antiquities
service. When archaeologists arrived, they were stunned by what they saw:
more than fifty royal mummies. This discovery had a profound impact on
what was known of Egyptian history and reminded everyone that looting has been
an Egyptian nemesis for thousands of years. (Honorable Mention by jury in
Animation and Effects)</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>• A Gift from Talking God (USA) 30 min.<BR> To the Navajo people
of the American Southwest, “sheep is life.” The Navajo-Churro sheep is the
original breed, which has sustained the Navajo, Pueblo, and Hispanic people for
400 years. On the verge of extinction a generation ago, the Navajo-Churro
is making a comeback to the Navajo people. The Slow Food Foundation for
Biodiversity recognizes the breed as a culturally and genetically important
animal, worthy of international recognition. This film offers a portrait
of rarely seen traditional Navajo lifeways and sustainable herding practices in
the remote Arizona-New Mexico homeland. (Honorable Mention by Audience in
Audience Favorite competition)</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>• A Treasure of Gold (Greece) 9 min.<BR> In the 1970s, near the
village of Aidonia, in the Greek municipality of Nemea, a mule fell into a
hole. Upon rescuing the animal, villagers discovered a rare golden
treasure buried amidst a group of skeletons. A few years later,
archaeologists arrived at the looted site. Sixteen of the 18 tombs already
had been emptied, but a small stash of jewelry had been overlooked by the tomb
robbers. Later, a collection of Mycenaean jewelry went up for sale at an
auction house in New York City. This is the story of the plunder of
Mycenaean tombs and of the recovery of a treasure made of gold.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><U>Program B: Saturday, January 12</U></DIV>
<DIV><BR>• Etruscan Odyssey: Expanding Archaeology (USA) 17
min.<BR> The early Mediterranean civilization of Etruria flourished for a
thousand years and then vanished, leaving art and artifacts, but little trace of
its history. After decades of painstaking work, archaeologists now are
beginning to piece together a fascinating portrait of daily life in Etruscan
society. Etruscan Odyssey engages viewers with a brief historical
background utilizing stunning images of artifacts from the finest known
collections of Etruscan art. These works highlight the
expert aesthetic and technical prowess of the Etruscans, which continues to
inspire a desire to find out more about the lost culture at the heart of the
Mediterranean tradition. </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>• The Fate of Old Beijing (China) 20 min.<BR> In the face
of China’s rapid modernization, the country is struggling to preserve its
cultural heritage, and nowhere is this more visible than in the ancient
alleyways and courtyards of Beijing. The hutongs are more than simply
housing: they are a way of life. The communal aspect to life within the
hutongs means that few residents want to leave—even as their neighborhoods are
being demolished and redeveloped. This film explores the vanishing world
of Beijing’s hutongs, the realities of life within those narrow streets, and the
future for these culturally irreplaceable areas.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>• Bitter Roots (USA) 71 min.<BR> Bitter Roots puts to
rest a Kalahari Myth. Set in Nyae-Nyae, a region of Namibia in southern
Africa’s Kalahari desert, traditional home of the Ju’hoansi, Bitter Roots
observes the erosion of a community-led development process in Nyae-Nyae
following an imposition of a new agenda by the World Wildlife Fund, which
prioritizes wildlife conservation and tourism over subsistence farming.
The film sensitively examines the problems facing the Ju’hoansi, challenging the
myth that they are culturally unable to farm. The film investigates how
the Ju’hoansi cope with the expectations of tourists and filmakers while
steadfastly continuing to farm against all odds. (Special Mention by jury
for best representation of cultural change; Honorable Mention by jury for Public
Education Value)</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><U>Program C: Friday, January 18</U></DIV>
<DIV><BR>• Mémère Métisse (Canada) 30 min.<BR> For over sixty years,
Cecile St. Amant has been keeping a deep secret: she is Métis (Canadian
aboriginal group of mixed First Nations and European heritage). Cecile’s
granddaughter sets out to understand her Mémère’s (grandmother’s) denial and
playfully plots her own mission to open her Mémère’s eyes to the richness of her
heritage. She soon realizes that her Mémère will not be easily convinced
that being Métis is something to be proud of. Her persistent prodding
reveals a generation’s legacy of shame and the profound courage of the human
spirit to overcome it. (Honorable Mention by jury for Inspiration)</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>• Robert Blake and the Civil War Sieges of Taunton (UK) 12
min.<BR> Be prepared for a truly fresh look at the exploits of English
Parliamentarian commander Robert Blake under Oliver Cromwell during the first
English Civil War. From July 1664 to July 1665, the city of Taunton, the
only Parliamentery enclave in the southwest of England, led by Colonel Blake,
held out against the Royalist forces led by Lord Goring. Blake, who went
on to become a legendary admiral, famously declared that he had four pairs of
boots and would eat three pairs before he would surrender. This film
relates the archaeology and history of the period as well as Blake’s
influence. (Best Narration and Best Music by jury; Honorable Mention by
jury in Script, Cinematography, and in Best Film competition)</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>• Ramesses the Second: The Great Journey (France) 63
min.<BR> Under the reign of Ramesses the Second, pharaoh of the New
Empire’s 19th Dynasty, Egypt was living the final hours of its golden age.
After a reign of 67 years, the powerful emperor died at the age of 92. He
became the legendary “Ramesses the Great.” His mummy was interred in the
heart of the Valley of the Kings, on the west bank of the Nile at Thebes,
marking the beginning of his Great Journey towards the afterlife on the
condition that his tomb be preserved for all time. (Best Animation and
Effects by Jury; Honorable Mention by jury in Best Film competition, Public
Education Value, Script, Cinematography, Music, and in Audience Favorite
competition)</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><U>Program D: Saturday, January 19</U></DIV>
<DIV><BR>• The Renaissance of Mata Ortiz (USA) 54 min.<BR> When
anthropologist Spencer MacCallum bought three pieces of pottery from a
second-hand store in Deming, New Mexico, in 1976, he had no idea that he was
about to begin a journey that would lead to the revival of an ancient art
form. In Mata Ortiz, México, MacCallum partnered with self-taught artist
Juan Quezada and slowly created an industry that today is known
world-wide. The Renaissance of Mata Ortiz tells the improbable story of
how Quezada and MacCallum both experienced creative and personal breakthroughs
which led to dazzling, innovating works by Quezada and a passing of the torch to
younger, award-winning artists such as Diego Valles. (Best Script and Most
Inspirational by jury; Honorable Mention by jury in Best Film competition,
Narration, Public Education Value, Cinematography, and Music; Honorable Mention
by audience in Audience Favorite competition; Special Mention by jury for best
representation of sustainability of cultural change)</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>• The Hobbit Enigma (Australia) 52 min.<BR> This dynamic
film examines one of the greatest controversies in science today: what did
scientists find when they uncovered the tiny, human-like skeleton of a strange
creature, known to many as the Hobbit, on the Indonesian island of Flores in
2003? Are the bones a previously unknown and bizarre primitive species of
human? The Hobbit discovery forces us to rethink some of the most
fundamental questions of human origins. With exclusive access to ongoing
interdisciplinary research and new fieldwork, this is a comprehensive account of
a startling new view of human evolution. (Best Film, Best Cinematography
and Best Public Education Value by jury; Honorable Mention by jury for
Narration, Animation and Effects, Script, and Inspiration; Special Mention by
jury for best representation of archaeology)</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV align=left><BR><U>TAC Festival 2013 to be held in the Recital Hall at The
Shedd Institute<BR></U> <BR>ALI announces the next edition of
<STRONG><EM>The Archaeology Channel</EM></STRONG> International Film and Video
Festival, May 7-11, 2013, in the Recital Hall at The Shedd Institute, 868 High
Street, in downtown Eugene, Oregon. TAC Festival will bring to Oregon the
world’s best films on archaeology, ancient cultures, and the world of indigenous
peoples. Our Keynote Speaker will be Dr. Tom Dillehay, who singlehandedly
overturned the Clovis-first hypothesis, speaking on "Entangled Knowledge and the
Quest for New Models on the Peopling of the Americas." Please join us in
welcoming to Eugene the people of the world for this cinematic celebration of
the human cultural heritage. Details at <A
title=http://archaeologychannel.org/events-guide/international-film-and-video-festival
href="http://archaeologychannel.org/events-guide/international-film-and-video-festival">http://archaeologychannel.org/events-guide/international-film-and-video-festival</A>.</DIV></DIV></FONT></BODY></HTML>