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Beverly Friddle
Netflix viewers are enthralled by a new documentary that delves into the enigmatic tomb of China's first emperor, Qin Shi Huang. Directed by British filmmaker James Tovell, the documentary explores the rich history and profound mysteries surrounding the tomb.
But another fascinating part of the Qin dynasty is the legendary Terracotta Army that was buried alongside the Emperor. This vast collection of 8,000 figures, including warriors, servants, and entertainers, was intended to protect the emperor in the afterlife.
The documentary highlights the remarkable discovery of the Terracotta Army in 1974, which reignited global interest in ancient Chinese history. Despite extensive excavations revealing various compartments filled with these life-sized figures, one area remains untouched - the tomb of Qin Shi Huang himself.
Archaeologists are particularly cautious about disturbing the burial site. Previous excavations revealed that changes in atmospheric conditions reportedly caused the paint on the Terracotta Army statues to peel off. As a result, experts are meticulously planning a controlled approach to avoid damaging the tomb's contents.
The documentary also addresses long-standing rumours of curses associated with opening ancient tombs, a theme that often fascinates audiences. While it may be a co-incidence but reports say that the seven farmers who discovered the Terracotta army died under tragic circumstances.
Benoit Bringer's new documentary has been billed as a searing expos of the shadowy private Russian army known as the Wagner Group. But he says it's really more of a tribute to those who have risked everything to stand up to them.
The Wagner Group is a private military company owned by Russian oligarch Yevgeny Prigozhin. Its members have appeared in international conflict zones around the world, including Ukraine, Syria, Mali and the Central African Republic. And everywhere they go, they are accused of brutality, torture and extrajudicial killings.
Officially, these mercenaries not linked to any political party or government. But Prigozhin is known to be a close confidante of Russian President Vladimir Putin. And intelligence experts say the group is state-backed and works to further Russia's objectives on the world stage.
In The Rise of Wagner, Bringer interviews journalists who have shined a light on the Wagner Group's activities at great personal cost, and the loved ones of the Wagner Group's victims who are desperately seeking justice against an organization that, on paper, doesn't even exist.
Bringer, a French investigative journalist, spoke to As It Happens host Nil Kksal about his new film, which is playing Monday and Friday at the Hot Docs Festival in Toronto. The following is an excerpt from their conversation.
Definitely, it was very hard. And I have seen some videos, the worst I have seen before.... But at the same time I was really touched and moved by the people I met. Because you have to understand that this documentary, it's about the people who fight for the truth, fight for justice. And I was very, very touched when I met them.
Actually, it was used by the CIA also for ... the Bay of Pigs when they hired mercenaries, Cuban mercenaries, to try to overthrow Fidel Castro. You know, they said, "We didn't send those guys. It's not ours. It's just Cubans who want to free their country." That's same with Wagner. They can go wherever they want and Russia can say, "OK it's not us."
When you talk about influence, your film talks about the activities of the group in Syria and parts of Africa... A lot of people are hearing about the group in the context of Ukraine in most of the headlines now. But when we talk about Syria and African countries, what is this the strategy and the strategic value of the group there?
The Central African Republic is a big part of our documentary because it was a former French colony with a lot of French influence. But it's over now, and Russia has tried to gain power in those countries in Africa to be the new dominant power.
And it's [a] kind of new colonialism. They gain influence and they can do business with these countries.... They can sell weapons. They can exploit natural resources like gold mines, like old fields, like diamonds.
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