Documentarian Brent Huffman discusses "Saving Mes Aynak" : The Afghanistan Project Podcast Episode 70

The Afghanistan Project Podcast

Welcome to Episode 70 of The Afghanistan Project, where we cover all topics related to two decades of war in Afghanistan, and the fallout of our Afghanistan withdrawal. Today’s guest is Brent Huffman, a documentary filmmaker and professor at Northwestern University, where he is director of documentary journalism. Brent is the director, producer, cinematographer and editor of the 2014 documentary “Saving Mes Aynak,” which won over 30 awards and has been broadcast in over 50 countries.

In today’s episode, Brent talks about the impetus of his interest in Mes Aynak and what he saw and learned about the ancient Buddhist city while traveling there to document the heroic work of disaster archeologists who strived to keep the largely unexcavated remains from being destroyed by a Chinese mining company.

Brent also talks about the efforts he has taken to save Afghan archeologists who were Taliban targets during filming and have been unable to work since August 2021.

We discuss how Mes Aynak’s perpetual stay of execution seems to have come to an end, with mining efforts currently underway in the area. Though the Taliban promise that mining will take place underground in an effort to preserve the city, Brent expressed skepticism about trusting the group’s word, and reminds the audience that six villages have been destroyed to make way for mining and a further 174 face ruin from mining’s impact on the aquifer.

Finally, Brent talks about forthcoming documentary, due next year, about performing archeology in the midst of war in Yemen.

Follow Brent on Twitter: https://x.com/Brent_Huffman

Find “Saving Mes Aynak” on Amazon Prime Video here: https://www.amazon.com/Saving-Mes-Aynak-Brent-Huffman/dp/B01MQFJDQ9

Watch Brent’s work free for a limited time at the 2024 Arkhaios Film Festival: https://arkhaiosfilmfestival2024.eventive.org/films?filterTags%5B6690491d13c78100a6420841%5D=true

About the host:

Beth Bailey worked in support of Afghanistan operations as a civilian intelligence analyst for the Department of the Army between 2010 and 2013. She is a freelance contributor to Fox News Digital and the Washington Examiner. Follow her on Instagram or X ⁠@BWBailey85⁠.

For Afghan listeners:

If you would like to have your story considered for a future episode, please send us a letter about your experiences to our show e-mail address, [e-mail]. Please include as much detail as possible, and let us know if you would like us to give you a pseudonym to protect your identity.