23 March 2019
Cinema Yateem” 120 Kg” Screens “The Destruction of Memory”, Dealing with wars and disasters and the destruction of cultural memory
In a spiritual cultural atmosphere reminiscent of historical sweet old Manama times, “Cinema Yateem” initiative continued its movie screenings titled “120 kg” in the courtyard of the building opposite the orphanage in Manama (Building No. 70 - Traders Street). - Manama 304 ) on Saturday, 23 March, (next to Yateem Centre - Manama), presenting this time, the film "The Destruction of Memory". The event is a collaboration between the Bahrain Authority for Culture and Antiquities and Mawane, coordinated with Yateem Family, which aims to revive the concept of open air cinemas in the spaces of Manama, screening a series of films related to architecture, humanity and identity.
The film "The Destruction of Memory", Produced in 2016 and Directed by Tim Slade, is based on a book of the same name by Robert Bevan, which reviews the devastation caused by the war in the so-called "Islamic State Organization" in both Syria and Iraq, revealing the existence of such cases but in a subtle and unclear manner. The film includes interviews with UNESCO Director-General, Prosecutor General of the International Criminal Court and several international experts, where the film gathered their voices to address this issue.
Over the past century, cultural destruction has wrought catastrophic results across the globe. This war against culture is not over - it's been steadily increasing.In Syria and Iraq, the ‘cradle of civilization’, millennia of culture are being destroyed. The push to protect, salvage and rebuild has moved in step with the destruction. Legislation and policy have played a role, but heroic individuals have fought back, risking and losing their lives to protect not just other human beings, but our cultural identity - to save the record of who we are. Based on the book of the same name by Robert Bevan, The Destruction of Memory tells the whole story - looking not just at the ongoing actions of Daesh (ISIS) and at other contemporary situations, but revealing the decisions of the past that allowed the issue to remain hidden in the shadows for so many years. Interviewees in the film include the former Director-General of UNESCO, the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, as well as diverse and distinguished international experts, whose voices combine to address this urgent issue. The film, the recipient to date of 4 film festival awards, continues its journey across the globe. On 20 April 2019, “ Cinema Yateem” initiative will be screening “16 Acres”, shedding lights on how rebuilding of ground zero is one of the most architecturally, politically, and emotionally complex urban renewal projects in American history. From the beginning, the effort has been fraught with controversy, delays and politics. From the staggering engineering challenges of the site itself, a major complicating factor in the rebuilding of the World Trade Center is the sheer number of interested parties.
Worth to mention that this cooperation between “ Mawane” and BACA is part of “Manama Call”, launched by Bahrain Culture Authority in January last year, which aims to enhance the development of the City of Manama and nominate its urban history on UNESCO World Heritage List, as a creative city, shedding lights on Manama city’s universal exceptional heritage, as reflected by its historical buildings and their identity that should be preserved due to their irreplaceable architectural heritage value. This endeavor requires the support, participation and the cooperation of several families from Manama to guarantee the sustainability of this unique architectural heritage, bringing life again to the spirit and memory of the place.
The title of "120 KG" was selected for the current film season at the Yatim Cinema, referring to the period in which British Airways Overseas was awarded in 1945 to BAPCO a certificate to import 120 kg of films by air freight per week from Karachi, Shipments of films, which contributed to the development of cinema in the Kingdom of Bahrain. By 1945, that the British Overseas Airways Corporation granted BAPCO a priority certificate to import, by air freight, 120 kilograms of film a week from Karachi, thereby removing the inconvenience of shipping delays. In a relatively short space of time, a modest proposal for a couple of cinemas in Bahrain had developed into a profitable business. Air Freight to Serve Bahrain’s First Cinemas started to flourish amid 1930s at Manama open-air in order to spread awareness about the cinema’s role in bridging the gap between Bahrain and other cultures and civilizations.
