A Documentary By Phocea Films
The Hidden Legacy Of Egypt’s Sun King is an archaeological detective story which will present the Mansoor Amarna Collection in all its real or presumed glory. With unprecedented access to each of the exquisite pieces and exclusive interviews with several world-renowned authorities on them, the film will expose the intriguing history of both the collection and the fie
rce, almost conspiratorial, controversy surrounding it. Central to the film will be the attempt to unequivocally date the most contentious and hauntingly beautiful of the pieces, the pink limestone bust of the mythically alluring Queen Nefertiti. This piece was donated to the Vatican Museum in 1979, where it was confirmed authentic and placed on display for almost 20 years – before being hastily removed and returned to the Mansoor family amid vague, unsubstantiated reports of its illegitimacy. The film will document the bust undergoing the very latest scientific testing available (the process of Nuclear Magnetic Spectroscopy) at the Geopolymer Institute in Saint Quentin, France, the world leader in cutting-edge archo-geological research. Once the final, purely objective, results are obtained, they will be candidly reported – whether they finally settle the questions surrounding the Mansoor Amarna Collection or merely serve to raise more. The film will also explore
● The mysterious and utterly captivating period of Egyptian history during which the artefacts were allegedly produced
● The clandestine manner in which they were uncovered and first brought for sale
● The polite Mafia of the scholastic world and how it, more than any other factor, serves to influence opinions regarding antiquities, AND
● The basic science behind the various techniques of dating that have been brought to bear on the collection.
