Which is the most heavily bombed country in History?
A country that never formally entered a war, Laos.
SYNOPSIS
The Remnants
an astonishing journey in the legacy of war
The Remnants is a journey into the contradictions of today’s wars, in which the remains of the conflict always outlive the conflict itself. It is a journey into the culture and spirituality of a people that manages to incorporate good and evil, construction and destruction, and to convert killing objects into handy tools to tackle everyday life.
Between 1964 and 1973, during the Vietnam war, the American air force carried out over 500.000 bombing missions over Laos, dropping more than 2 million tons of explosives over the country.
Forty years later, everything has changed in Laos, but people’s lives are still deeply affected by the omnipresence of war remnants, scattered in cultivated fields, forests, villages and even cities.
The unexploded ordnance (UXO) now represents a danger and a resource : the bombs that have made, since the end of the war, more than 22.000 victims, have been transformed into troughs for animals, water tanks, flower pots, fences, scales, mothproof columns for traditional stilt houses. The bombers’ fuel tanks are still turned into boats, projectiles become anvils for traditional forge shops, all kinds of metal are converted into utensils or building material for industrial foundries.
The pictures contained in these galleries where taken during our first and second mission in Laos. Our aim was to get in touch with the country reality and people, and to deepen the issues related with the legacy of war: the unexploded ordnance (UXO) contamination in many provinces, the recycling and the trade of the metal derived from the bombs, Laos people’s relationship with the dreadful experience of the greatest bombing in history.
We want to thanks all the people and organizations that supported our work in these missions: National Regulatory Authority for UXO/Mine, UXO LAO, Norwegian People’s Aid staff, Handicap International staff, Mine Advisory Group, and our great guides and interpeters, Sai and Nouds Phetrasy.
Photo of “Uxo Life” gallery by Claudio Sica
THE AUTHORS
Riccardo Russo
Director
He is an internationally recognized documentarist, holding a PhD in Human Geography and a specialization in Communication for Human Rights.
In 2005 he co-founded with Paolo Barberi the Association of researchers and filmmakers Esplorare la Metropoli.
He realized researches and documentaries concerning socio-environmental issues and human rights, with a particular focus on indigenous populations, in Africa, Asia, Oceania, South America and Europe.
His works were broadcast on several televisions world-wide and in theaters.
Paolo Barberi
Director
Anthropologist and documentarist, he started his audiovisual career at the Laboratory of Visual Anthropology Diego Carpitella of the University La Sapienza in Rome.
He currently works as a teacher and researcher for the University of Ferrara.
He is a founding member, together with Riccardo Russo, of the Association of researchers and filmmakers Esplorare la Metropoli.
Flaminio Cozzaglio
Scriptwriter
Graduated in Communication Studies at the University La Sapienza in Rome.
He travelled all around Europe, Central America and Far East focusing his research on the influence of collective memory in the production of contemporary culture.
The Remnants su Rai Storia – luglio 2020
The Remnants su Rai Storia – luglio 2020. Domenica – ore 10.30 Lunedì 20 – ore 7.30 Sabato 18 luglio – ore 23.00 Giovedì 23 luglio – ore 1.00 Venerdì 24 luglio – ore 18.00 Sabato 25 luglio – ore 1.00 https://www.rai.it/raistoria/
The Remnants su La2, Radiotelevisione Svizzera Italiana
The Remnants in onda su La2, Radiotelevisione Svizzera Italiana. Mercoledì 21 novembre, 22:50, 1a TV LINK
The Remnants in concorso al Festival Mente Locale
The Remnants in concorso al Festival Mente Locale Proiezione: 14 novembre 2019 h 22.30 Cinema Bristol / Savignano sul Panaro (Modena) – Italy https://www.festivalmentelocale.it/programma/
The Remnants at Guangzhou International Film Festival
A brand new award for The Remnants BEST INTERNATIONAL PRODUCTION DOCUMENTARY AWARD WINNER at Guangzhou International Film Festival, Guangzhou – China. October 2019 https://bit.ly/2McMMic #theremnants #awards #guangzhou #festival #china
Primo Premio Documentari al Siciliambiente Film Festival per The Remnants
20 luglio 2019, un’altra grande soddisfazione arriva dalla Sicilia: The Remnants vince il Primo Premio Documentari al Siciliambiente Film Festival di San Vito Lo Capo https://www.festivalsiciliambiente.it/i-vincitori-2019/
Black Asia contest – The Remnants screened in Seoul
Seoul Eco Film Festival / Seoul – South Korea http://en.seff.kr/project/the-remnants/ Black Asia contest 26 may 2019 h 12,00 Seoul Cinema 28 may 2019 h 17,00 Seoul Cinema
Winter Film, the tiny festival about mountains’ stories | The Remnants
Winter Film, the tiny festival about mountains’ stories Official Selection THE REMNANTS Monday 11 March 2019 h 20.30 Cinema Edera Piazza Martiri di Belfiore, 2 – Treviso INFO –> https://bit.ly/2GWSV0Y https://www.gentedimontagna.it #theremnants #documentary #film #screenings
One World International Human Rights Documentary Festival – Prague
We’re glad to announce that The Remnants will be screened in Prague at One World International Human Rights Documentary Festival. WEBSITE 10. 03. 2019 – 16:00 Atlas – Small Hall Czech premiere 13. 03. 2019 – 20:30 Lucerna – Large Hall Discussion 14. 03. 2019 – 20:30 Ponrepo Discussion
Next screening in France for The Remnants
Next screening in #France Sunday 24th March 2019 Parc Culturel de Rentilly | Marne la Vallée. Free entry
37. Festival international Jean Rouch – The Remnants vince il Prix de la Commission nationale d’Images en Bibliothèques, Images de la culture du CNC, ADAV.
The Remnants sbarca a Parigi per il Festival international Jean Rouch.