Screening and discussion on the docudrama "The Oath of Cyriac"

The Pasteur Museum and CeRIS are pleased to invite you to a screening of the docudrama "The Oath of Cyriac" directed by Olivier Bourgeois on Tuesday April 29, 2025 at 12.45pm in the François Jacob auditorium. It will be followed by a Q&A with the director of Bouclier Bleu (Blue Shield), Henri de Mégille.

The film will be screened in the original Arabic version with French subtitles. Length: 73 min.

The Oath of Cyriac (2021) is a docudrama based on the true story of a small group of archaeologists, museum curators and attendants struggling to save the antique collections of the Aleppo National Museum during the Syrian conflict.

The film captures the desperate situation in 2015 when the museum has become a front line and the risk of seeing 50,000 artifacts disappearing is greater every day in a city under siege. The crucial question was how to evacuate these treasures in the midst of war. Amid exploding bombs and sniper fire, they risk their lives as they return daily to the museum in an attempt to save the museum’s antique collections.

The film was screened and awarded at a number of international festivals and reminds us that losing the museum’s collections would mean erasure of an entire section of the history of humanity.

 

Link to the trailer

 

 

What is the Bouclier Bleu (Blue Shield)?

Bouclier bleu France is the French section of Blue Shield International, a non-governmental, non-profit organization committed to the protection of cultural heritage in times of crisis. Founded in 2001, its role is to inform, raise awareness and provide training in the fragility and vulnerability of our heritage, and to promote prevention and emergency initiatives.

 

Why attend?

The film, followed by Q&A with the director of Bouclier bleu France Henri de Mégille, tells a poignant human story of courage and devotion. The Aleppo National Museum team’s determination during the Syrian conflict to save this heritage in the face of war and danger is an inspiration to us all. The film also helps us understand the importance of preserving cultural heritage in times of crisis and highlights the fragility of cultural heritage and the consequences of its loss. The ingenuity, resilience in the face of adversity and perseverance of these people resonate with the challenges found in other fields.

The Q&A with Henri de Mégille will provide an opportunity to learn more about the role of this organization, its specific initiatives (informing, raising awareness, training and promoting emergency response measures) and ask questions on potential links with other areas of involvement in crisis situations, as illustrated by the Institut Pasteur’s CIBU.

For further information, see the ePasteur page dedicated to the docudrama

Contact:  Marie Martin (marie.martin@pasteur.fr)