Saving Mes Aynak

The Official Saving Mes Aynak Trailer

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, 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.

CNN Amanpour: The Most Amazing Ruins You Never Heard Of

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. 

The Beauty of 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. 

Al Jazeera America Broadcast Commercial

It's a race against time to save a 5,000-year-old archaeological site in Afghanistan threatened by a Chinese state-owned copper mine. Can an underfunded team of archaeologists beat the clock and save their cultural heritage from scheduled demolition?

For our broadcast on "Al Jazeera America Presents" on July 12 and 18, 2015.  

The Heroism of the Afghan Archaeologists

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. 

Write A New Ending

"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. 

ISIS Destroyed the Mosul Museum. Will Mes Aynak Suffer the Same Fate?

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?

Expert Panel Discussion on Mes Aynak from IDFA 2014

On the panel: director Brent E. Huffman; Experts Stephen Carter, Dr. Stefan Baums, Dr. Paul van der Velde, and Paula de Wijs; and Afghan diaspora representatives Matin Wasei and Nadia Tarzi.