Prof. Dr. Ruprecht Haensel

Principle of the Christian Albrechts University at Kiel

The university draws its life from the intramural co-operation of its various academic disciplines. The modern possibilities of extramural communication require academic co-operation across great geographical distances.

Universities however need to open up and present their work to the non-academic world (culture, economics, politics) in order to impress on their interested publish the results of academic work.

(...) One way to inform the general public of the results of academic work is provided by the medium film. With the Arbeitsgruppe Film the Christian Albrechts University has created a small institution which accompanies research - in particular that of archaeology and prehistoric and ancient history - and, with the International Archaeological Film Festival CINARCHEA moreover has managed to establish a forum uniting archeologists and filmmakers, historians and physicians, museum directors, editors and students, interested lay persons and journalists from all over Europe and abroad.

(...) The accompanying symposium, which this time is dedicated to the new media in archeology, gives CINARCHEA a specific profile among the other European archeological film festivals.

(...) I wish (...) the festival a wonderful future.

Heide Simonis

Leader of the Gouvernment of Schleswig-Holstein

(...) In the last few years the name CINARCHEA has established itself as a scientifically grounded and popular festival. A successful combination of scientific and cinematic interaction has contributed to the attractiveness of the festival with the public as well as to its international reputation.

(...) I especially welcome the inclusion once more of a special programme for children and young people. The CINARCHEA thus offers schools and other educational institutions the possibility of awakening interest in the life of times gone by. Young people can thus be given the chance to connect with archeology, e. g. in a playful way, by the use of these new media as well as film.

(...) For young people, competence with media is competence in the future(...). The State Gouvernment is grateful for every initiative which contributes to the improvement of young people's media competence.

(...) This year the event once again offers its international public a wonderful opportunity for contact and discussion and at the same time creates an exiting and informative programme for all interested parties.

Dr. Gernot Schumann

Managing Director of the Independant State Board for Broadcasting (ULR)

The ULR is very pleased that the CINARCHEA is taking place at Kiel this year. In the field of archeology it is a link between science ,education, film production and the public. Its important role is clearly shown by the range of films on offer. The CINARCHEA is the only festival in Germany which offers a forum to archeological documentary films.

(...) The archeological film is not merely a multiplicator for archeological research results. It illustrates the often ardous path to gain insights into these scientific disciplines and shows that Archeology also has its practical, technical aspects. CINARCHEA is not simply a film festival. A symposium deals with the use of new media in archeological work.

(...) The promotion of public initiatives with a cultural or educational slant in the audiovisual field is one of the legal tasks of the ULR as the state media authority in Schleswig-Holstein. Promoting such events that break the boundaries of the ordinary and have a long lasting effect on forming a positive picture of Schleswig-Holstein as a cultural landscape at home and abroad is thereby a matter of particular concern.

(...) The organizers have once again proven that education and entertainment need not to be mutually exclusive but can rationally complement each other.

Dr. Erwin Keefer

Württembergisches Landesmuseum Stuttgart

"... it was the third time now for me to experience the pleasant duty and the informative pleasure of taking part in CINARCHEA in Kiel. Once again cooperation among the jury-members went on smoothly. And once again too the combination of media-experts and archaeologists was a very successful one.

The question which of the festival-contributions should be deemed worthy of a prize led on to interesting discussions on the essence of the "archaeological film". This became quite apparent with the awards we decided upon; I would like to clarify this on the basis of two examples: on the one hand of the critically sized up to be then considered good we have, with "The Book of Lenins", a production which on the surface could hardly be reconciled with the claim to communicate archaeology. Yet, at a closer look this fictitious contemporary documentary on the vanishing Lenin-statues draws some nonetheless amazingly original as well as plausible lines parallel to archaeology! Thus we awarded it with our Special Prize!

On the contrasting exemplary side I would like to place "Work out of thePublic Eye" - a simply beautiful little masterpiece on the craftsmanship of restorers

in close cooperation with archaeologists. In this case the name of the documentary stands for the contents. In addition it is a didactical masterpiece in regards to its archaeological precision and filmic accuracy.

I was very pleased with the fact that this time it was not just the filmgroup presenting the Christian-Albrechts-University but also the Institute for Pre- and Protohistory which actively participated in programme planning. This in particular has been a central interest of mine from the very beginning(...)

By means of the fusion of filmfestival and symposium in this "Kiel Week of Archaeology" it actually has been achieved to bring together the two sections, which otherwise do not tend to cooperate too much, on a mutually shared level of discussion and general aim.

Looking back I must say I would have wished for a clearly stronger presence of Baltic and Scandinavian films. Considering that this was the third CINARCHEA in a row there was quite some respective expectancy not just what I am concerned - if not in Kiel and its festival, where else, one must ask, in the German-speaking part of the world?

Yet, this in no way diminishes the fact that the CINARCHEA in Kiel does by now, after its third biennale, belongs beyond doubt to the group of European Filmfestivals that can be defined as essential, successful and endowed with great potential for the future."

Prof. Dr. Peter Allen

Rhode Island College, Providence, Rhode Island, USA

The following is a personal evaluation of CINARCHEA 1998:

(...) Overall (...) CINARCHEA is one of the premier festivals of archaeological film in the world.

From an intellectual standpoint, it is by far the superior festival. This is because it is the ONLY festival of this type that includes a symposium where scholarly papers are presented and discussed. It is the only festival that is sponsored by an institution of higher education. (...)

Moreover, it is one of the "purest" festivals in the sense that most of the other festivals (...) include non-archaeological films in the program. CINARCHEA has included some non-archaeological films on occasion, but they are usually shown in a separate venue, apart from the program of strictly archaeological films. This was the case with NOSFERATU Murnau, for example, in 1996 and ASPHALT in 1998. these showings, however, constitute an "archaeology of the cinema" as it were since they are films that were lost, either in whole or part, and then painstakingly restored in recent years. (...)

Another important aspect of the festival is the opportunity it provides for scholars, filmmakers, critics and the like to meet in a genial atmosphere to exchange ideas and see each other`s work.

This is an important function performed by the festival and often overlooked in formal evaluations since it is more of an informal function. But it is an important element of the festival and one that is greatly appreciated by the participants and audience. Contacts are made and colleagues meet other colleagues. (...)

There are a number of small details which make CINARCHEA stand out from the crowd of archaeological film festivals. They may seem a bit trivial, but they do make a difference. One is the animated "trailor" film that has been shown before each screening session. It is not only a well done piece, but it is extremely relevant to the archaeological material and a new bit has been added for each festival. A brilliant feature of the festival! In addition, the trophies that are awarded (...) are superior in concept, design and execution (...)

From a personal point of view, CINARCHEA stands out among the other festivals I have attended and participated in for several reasons. It is the only festival where I was provided with some assistance in translating dialogue from languages with which I am not familiar. (...)

The jury procedure at CINARCHEA was superior to that I encountered (...) elsewhere. (...)

Overall, the atmosphere at CINARCHEA is warm and hospitable, the staff friendly and helpful. (...)