A note on the ruins for visitors is a deeply personal portrait of the Assyrian community from fragments of material drawn from Bahto’s family history, ancient artifacts, and collaborations with contemporary artists working across the diaspora. “When Daesh invaded Iraq and released videos of themselves destroying ancient Assyrian artworks in the Mosul Museum,” Bahto explains, “I found myself thinking more deeply about my relationship to history as the grandchild of survivors of Seyfo – the Assyrian genocide. In fact, I realized that the genocide hadn’t ended.” The film investigates the materiality of cultural memory alongside its personal and spiritual dimensions, embodying the rebuilding of a community and connection to culture that honors the past while insisting on an open future.

A note on the ruins for visitors (2026)

September 1, 2026 69 min

Director: Dicky Bahto  ·  Writers: Mary Bahto, Esther Elia, Monette Eiliazadeh, Deena Ana

A note on the ruins for visitors is a deeply personal portrait of the Assyrian community from fragments of material drawn from Bahto’s family history, ancient artifacts, and collaborations with contemporary artists working across the diaspora. “When Daesh invaded Iraq and released videos of themselves destroying ancient Assyrian artworks in the Mosul Museum,” Bahto explains, “I found myself thinking more deeply about my relationship to history as the grandchild of survivors of Seyfo – the Assyrian genocide. In fact, I realized that the genocide hadn’t ended.” The film investigates the materiality of cultural memory alongside its personal and spiritual dimensions, embodying the rebuilding of a community and connection to culture that honors the past while insisting on an open future.

Director

Dicky Bahto

Cast

Esther Elia Maryam Yousif Katoosh Dicky Bahto Anna Kingsley Lily Enanna Sheena Georgia Kingsley Rami Kingsley Sarah Bennett Ashuriena Abraham Edessa Shmoel