Looting, Loss, and Justice—How Documentary Films Are Driving Global Action for Cultural Heritage
June 25, 2025
A powerful wave of documentary filmmaking on cultural plunder and restitution is bringing forth new ways to share the complex realities of cultural racketeering to new audiences worldwide.
On the margins of the Nepal Heritage Recovery Campaign’s International Conference on the Recovery of Cultural Heritage (16–18 June 2025, Kathmandu), participants gathered for an extraordinary evening of film and dialogue.
At the Nepal screening, panelists and audience members alike—gripped by narratives of cultural racketeering around the globe—were awed by the humanizing depth of the film collection. Four remarkable films were featured:
- Dahomey (2024, dir. Mati Diop)
This acclaimed documentary traces the return of 26 royal treasures from the Quai Branly Museum in Paris to the Kingdom of Dahomey, in today’s Republic of Benin. The film offers a deeply moving reflection on cultural repatriation and the enduring harms of colonialism and cultural plunder. - Have You Seen My Gods? (2025, dir. Amitabh Joshi)
A personal and poignant account of the 1984 theft of the Lakshmi-Narayan statue from Patan, and its return in 2021. The film captures the emotional weight of cultural loss—and the healing power of homecoming. - Artifact War (2025, dir. Evan Michael Carpenter and Jacob Schwarz)
The story of Dr. Amr al Azem and his students, who built a system to track the theft and destruction of Syrian antiquities. Their work uncovers a dark web of terror financing, trafficking, and corporate complicity in cultural crimes. - LOOT: A Story of Crime & Redemption (2025, dir. Don Millar)
This compelling documentary dives into the criminal networks behind the looting of Cambodian antiquities and the decades-long fight to return them. LOOT highlights the investigative process, including the work of AC Executive Director Tess Davis and partners in pursuing justice and restitution.
Following the screenings, a panel of sector experts explored the role of law, storytelling, and repatriation in the ongoing battle against cultural racketeering. Director of Programs Helena Arose, in concert with heritage law expert Dr. James Reap, legal advocate for Cambodia Bradley Gordon, and Bibhkar Shakya, the heritage specialist leading Nepal’s recovery efforts, shared global perspectives on the successes and ongoing challenges represented in the films.
These rich case studies—brought to life by the documentaries—sparked lively audience discussion, activating collective momentum for a shared cause: protecting cultural heritage for future generations. The takeaway: films like these inspire action, build awareness, and encourage collaboration in the fight against cultural racketeering.
Explore these films and find upcoming screenings: Dahomey (2024), Have You Seen My Gods? (2025), Artifact War (2025), and LOOT: A Story of Crime and Redemption (2025)