Documenting world heritage sites

The Fundação Oriente, is celebrating World Heritage Day on April 18, with the screening of documentaries.
NT BUZZ brings you the details

NT BUZZ

The International Day For Monuments and Sites was instituted by the International Council of Monuments and Sites, or ICOMOS. The council is an international non-governmental organization that works for the conservation of monuments and sites around the world and is closely associated with UNESCO.

The day, known to laypeople as World Heritage Day was proposed on April 18, 1982. The aim is to promote awareness about the diversity of cultural heritage of humanity, their vulnerability and the efforts required for their protection and conservation. The theme this year is ‘Heritage for our generations.’

In keeping with this the Fundação Oriente and Island Film Productions will present a screening of two short documentaries on Old Goa. The documentary Vishwas Darohar or ‘World Heritage’ is an 18-minute documentary film produced by Island Film Productions for the Archaeological Survey of India. The film is showcases the complete details on the seven UNESCO designated World Heritage monuments in Goa.

The second documentary ‘Mystery of Queen Ketevan’ will shed light on Queen Ketevan a Georgian queen who was martyred in that country and her relics (bones of her arm) were brought to Goa by two Portuguese Augustinian friars in the 7th century.  After an extensive search lasting more than a decade, The remains were discovered by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) within the ruins of the St Augustine Church in Old Goa in 2004, and the relics were then sent to Georgia for an exhibition. This documentary was produced before the discovery of the relics, hence the title of the film.

The documentaries will be screened with commentaries from Nizamuddin Taher (archaeologist of the ASI) and film writer and director Les Menezes. Taher is an archaeologist, heritage manager and conservator, currently with the Archaeological Survey of India – Hyderabad Circle. HE had been with the ASI – Goa Circle from 2003 to 2009, and was instrumental in the discovery of Queen Ketevan’s relics. Further to discussing these findings, he will debate other issues related to conservation of built up heritage.

Les Menezes was involved in the making of the documentary Vishwas Dharohar and will discuss the importance of documenting existing heritage and how this process should be undertaken.