Ruins (1999)
78 minutes on 16mm, black and white
Surveying representative moments from the history of Mesoamerican antiquarianism, this experimental documentary suggests how diplomacy and Pan-Americanism framed the recontexualization of archeological objects as art. Part faked newsreel, part diffusionist rant, “Ruins” uses appropriated sounds and images to contemplate a history of appropriated objects. The film visits with Brigido Lara, master forger, and suggests parallels between the documentary film and the fake.
With Sylvanus Morley, Maria Elena Pat, Filiberto Sanchez Varela, Brigido Lara and Alice Dixon Le Plongeon.