FILM SYNOPSIS:

A short documentary on the archaeological excavations of the Belgrade fortress during the Second World War by the Nazi organization Ahnenerbe.

The story contextualizes the presence of German archaeologists on the Kalemegdan fortress, from the plans for the building of a new Olympic stadium, through the reactions of the experts and news outlets, to the excavations.

The movie makes use of a copious archive of photos, letters and artifacts from the National Museum in Belgrade and the Museum of the city of Belgrade. It also delves into the role of the students of archaeology and the participants of the Museum course, who later went on to become some of the most influential archaeologists in Serbia.

By using different points of view, we tried to tell the story about the misuse of archaeology and cultural heritage for the purposes of political propaganda.

ABOUT THE DIRECTOR:

Dimitrije Marković is an archaeozoologist and a PhD student at the Faculty of Philosophy in Belgrade.

As a researcher of the Laboratory of Bioarchaeology, he studies animal remains from Roman sites in Serbia. He has been an active promoter of archaeology and cultural heritage through the Neozoik Foundation, and has participated in numerous projects aimed at educating the youth.

Lately, he has been trying to connect archaeology and film by directing and editing a short video form called Archaeology Journal, with the idea of promoting current archaeological events in Serbia and adjacent areas. Since 2019, reports on field research were produced throughout the country and the region, as well as thematic articles on interesting archaeological "mysteries" and museum depots! The first major documentary film he has worked on is Kalemegdan under the German shovel.