NEW YORK SOCIETY INAUGURATES PROGRAM ON ARCHAEOLOGY AND THE
SCREEN MEDIA
On March 31st, 2007, the New York Society successfully launched its first
film program, Dual Passions: Archaeology and Filmmaking. The visual
conceptualization of the project and event is captured by the striking
poster and logo created by Steve Bracy. The day-long event focused on a
dialog between archaeologists and documentary film makers. Two films and
clips from three others were featured. Producers of each of the films
provided commentary on their motivations, approaches and intended
audiences. The program was free to all students and at nominal cost to
adults.
The two full-length films were Queen of the Mountain by Martha Goell
Lubell, an independent film maker and Mr. Mummy produced by Amy Wray. The
first film chronicled the biography of Tessie Goell, the first modern
excavator at Nimrud Dagh. The film’s depiction of Goell’s passion and
obsession excited the imagination of anyone who has ever dreamed of
excavating. Mr. Mummy, a replication of Egyptian mummification, offered
intriguing insights into the mechanics of ancient mortuary techniques.
Bob Brier, a major spokesman for the study of mummies, conveyed his
enthusiasm, taking a lead role in this, his first film. Both Lubell and
Wray provided insightful commentaries on their films.
Films shown in part included Taypi Kala: Six Visions of Tiwanaku by Jeff
Himpele; Nubia: The Forgotten Kingdom and Lost Warriors of the Clouds, Amy
Bucher. The audience was thrilled to learn what motivated these
documentary film makers to choose their subjects and to target specific
audiences.
Two other participants contributed to the success of the event. Ronn
Wade, the anatomy consultant for Mr. Mummy, treated the audience to the
best kept secrets of Egyptian embalmers. Using body parts to illustrate
his talk, he revealed the intricacies of preserving mortal remains. Peter
Herdrich, an AIA Trustee and Senior Producer of TV’s Inside Edition,
moderated the entire event. An end-of-the-day panel discussion allowed
him to bring his diplomatic skills as an emcee to bear.
The program was held at the Cantor Film Center at NYU, a state of the art
center for cinematography, and was attended by over a hundred people from
a broad spectrum. This attendance furthered the goals of the project to
encourage an awareness of archaeology among a larger segment of the
population in order to recruit new members to the Society. In addition to
membership brochures, other information was provided including access to
web sites, available scholarships and field work opportunities. A special
table was staffed by the executive board and students for this purpose.
The program captured the interest of both academic and lay sponsors.
They included New York University, College of Arts and Science; the NYU
Anthropology Undergraduate Student Association and its Center for Ancient
Studies. Other important sponsors were the New York Council for the
Humanities and the Executive Board of the New York Society. Jim Sibal
chaired the event; committee members included Karen Rubinson, Marissa
Schlesinger, Linda Roccos, Jeff Lamia, Whitney Keen, Larissa Bonfante and
Rita Wright.
Posted by Rita Wright and Jim Sibal, May 2007
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