Monuments Men Movie on the Horizon
The upcoming film The Monuments Men, starring George Clooney, Matt Damon, Bill Murray, John Goodman and Cate Blanchett, features a new take on World War II heroism. An Allied platoon infiltrated Germany in the closing months of the war. Their mission? Heritage protection.
Based on Robert M. Edsel’s 2009 novel by the same name, the story details the systematic theft of artwork by the Nazis and the taskforce of American and British art experts charged with their rescue.
This movie will create unprecedented public awareness of the need to commit to the protection of our cultural heritage (see the American Institute for Conservation’s ).
We in the conservation field – sharing the same motivations as the film’s heroes – have an amazing opportunity to spread awareness about the work still being done by Heritage Heroes working in museums, galleries, archives and libraries to combat risks to our history’s treasures.
Imagine the appeal of screening The Monuments Men in your institution, followed by the display of your own collection’s war-related objects and a short presentation on current preservation challenges. What a way to build public awareness of modern-day challenges!