FILM by Francys Alys

Title: Sandlines – The Story About History

Contemporary Belgian and Mexican artist Francis Alÿs has created more than just a history of Iraq from the Sykes-Picot agreement in 1916 to the Islamic State’s influence of terror in 2016. It can rather be considered the story of history itself, as can only be portrayed by children. These children have never heard of the country of Iraq. When asked, “Where is your country?” they answer, “Here, my village of Nerkzlia,” a tiny town near Mosul, invisible on Google Maps. And so this story starts, during a time when the land was just the land and the land was for everyone, until scheming forces created a country by drawing lines in the sand.

Director: Francis Alÿs

Screenwriter: Francis Alÿs

Camera:Julien Devaux, Ivan Boccara, Francis Alÿs

Editor: Julien Devaux

https://vimeo.com/397819360