2017 | 8 minutes
Turkey
Dr Naoíse Mac Sweeney, Dr Tevfik Emre Şerifoğlu
What happens when development threatens culture, when progress destroys heritage? Dr Naoíse Mac Sweeney, Associate Professor of Ancient History at the University of Leicester (UK), and Dr Tevfik Emre Şerifoğlu, Assistant Professor of Archaeology at the University of Bitlis (Turkey), are working together to document disappearing cultural heritage in Turkey. The Göksu River Valley in southern Turkey is rich in archaeological and cultural heritage. The construction of a new hydroelectric dam at Kayraktepe is set to flood the valley, submerging the landscape beneath the waters of the dam lake. Drs Mac Sweeney and Şerifoğlu are caught in a race against time to document the unique and fascinating heritage of this region before the flood, working to preserve records of it for posterity. This short film explores their work, and the perspectives of local people faced with the loss of traditional lifestyles and intangible heritage.
