Release of The Giant Buddhas documentary in Germany
Swiss filmmaker Christian Frei directed “The Giant Buddhas”, screening in the World Cinema Competition: Documentary section at the ‘06 Sundance Film Festival.
The film focuses on the destruction of the famous ancient Buddha statues by the Taliban in Afghanistan in February 2001, six months before the attacks on the Twin Towers, when the Taliban issued a decree calling for the destruction of all non-Islamic-related statues in Afghanistan. A pair of enormous stone Buddhas, hewn from the side of a cliff in the Bamiyan Valley more than 1,600 years ago, was blown to bits by Islamic fundamentalists.
Christian Frei (War Photographer) took the destruction of the famous Bamiyan Buddhas as a starting point for a cinematic journey, an essay on fanaticism and faith, terror and tolerance, ignorance and identity. Frei traced the concept of Buddha statues back to China and shot his film in Afghanistan itself, as well as in China, France, Canada and Qatar.
The shooting started two weeks before the outbreak of the Iraq war in March, 2003. In the small Gulf emirate, he obtained exclusive film from Arab television channel Al-Jazeera of the Taliban’s destruction of the Buddha statues that stood for 15 centuries 2,500 metres above sea level. The reels show Taliban fighters placing explosives around the world-famous icons, lowering themselves on ropes onto the figures’ heads to destroy the priceless artifacts.
Theatrical Release in Germany this weekend, August 3rd 2006.
Cinemas in Berlin:
Broadway Berlin: Mo.- Sun. 3:30pm, 5:45pm, 8pm
Berlin Filmtheater Friedrichshain: Mo. - Sun. 3pm, 5:15pm, 7:30pm; Fr.+ Sat. 11pm
To watch a trailer of “The Giant Buddahs” click here (link).
