How an ancient collection from long lost civilizations became a focal point of one of the world’s major political controversies today.
The travelling exhibition Crimea – Gold and Treasures of the Black Sea are being held hostage in the cellars of the Allard Pierson Museum in Amsterdam, and it can’t go back home: since the annexation of Crimea by Putin, the art collection has become stateless. The treasures that were excavated on the peninsula have become a plaything in a power struggle between de museums at Crimea and the government in Ukraine. Both parties claim the archeological collection as their own, like roots of their identity. The Netherlands has unwillingly become a referee: to which party should the treasures been given back?
THE TREASURES OF CRIMEA is a Zeppers Film production, in co-production with the NTR and was funded by the Netherlands Film Fund, the Netherlands Film Production Incentive, CoBO, Mediafonds, Fonds 21, AFK and more.
THE TREASURES OF CRIMEA had it’s worldpremière during IDFA 2021 and has since been shown on several (international) filmfestivals. The documentary has also been broadcasted in the summer of 2022.