17.05.2018
The Stiftung Preußischer Kulturbesitz is one of the world’s five largest ‘universal’ or encyclopaedic collections. It encompasses the Staatliche Museen zu Berlin, with over five million objects and artefacts, the Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin, one of the world’s largest libraries, as well as outstanding archives and research institutes. This unique treasure house is now, for the first time, the subject of a documentary.
In a sweeping survey of all human history, from the Stone Age to contemporary art, the documentary poses questions about some of humanity’s most important subjects, including the ideal of beauty, death, and power. The ‘stars’ in this new film by director Dag Freyer are the Nefertiti bust in the Neues Museum, Hans Holbein’s portrait of the merchant Georg Giese in the Gemäldegalerie, the Ishtar Gate of Babylon in the Pergamonmuseum, and Joseph Beuys’ installation ‘Das Kapital’ (Capital) in the Hamburger Bahnhof. The film unveils the secrets of spectacular art objects, accompanies archaeologists to China, travels with a curator to Cameroon, and divulges the personal views of many museum staff about these carefully guarded ‘treasures’.
The film may be seen in cinemas from 17 May 2018, and on Deutsche Welle and ARTE in autumn.