Unknown The Lost Pyramid Review: Unknown The Lost Pyramid is a documentary film directed by Max Salomon and follows Egyptologists Dr. Zahi Hawass and his protege and rival, Dr. Mostafa Waziri as they try to discover the biggest breakthrough with their teams in the sands of the Saqqara. The film has a runtime of 83 minutes.
Unknown The Lost Pyramid Plot
The docufilm covers the incredible discoveries by two Egyptian archaeologists, Dr Zahi Hawass and Dr Mostafa Waziri, who are constantly on the verge of a ground-shattering discovery. The film covers what it takes to be in this line of work and the hopes and aspirations that come from being on the brink of discovering something that can make a dent in history.
Unknown The Lost Pyramid Review
There’s something mesmerising about watching statues and mummies from thousands of years ago being pulled out of the earth, proving that there was a time before this one which was completely different from our own. Although we are not quite under the blazing-hot sun of Egypt, Unknown: The Lost Pyramid takes us right in the middle of wonderful discoveries and gives us a glimpse of the hardships of the workers and archaeologists and everything that makes all of these efforts worth it.
The movie is quite interesting, and every moment you sit there watching the show, you can’t help but be drawn to all the mysteries that lie beneath. The docufilm focuses on different aspects of the excavation, including the difficulties of working under the sun for hours on end and the dangerous sandstorms that make working difficult for everyone on the site. These little glimpses make following the two archaeologists and their teams even more relatable. You can’t help but be drawn to their dreams and hope that they succeed in finding something that makes all the hardships worth the hassle.
The pyramids and the history of the Egyptians are enough to make anyone interested in the subject matter. Thus, when something new of this calibre is presented in a documentary format, it is evident that anyone would be extremely drawn to where we go from there. Unknown: The Lost Pyramid records a part of the excavation process, and I guess I wished to see whether or not Hawass is able to find the entrance to the pyramid in the end.
The ending showcases that he is still trying to find that out now, considering the size of the structure itself, which leaves us, however, with the hope that maybe in the near future, we will get to know that he did realise his dream.
Another interesting aspect that the documentary touches on is the fact that how Hawass had always wished for his own country to achieve what foreigners have been able to do for years. He mentions how he wants his fellow countrymen to discover the treasures that lay buried deep under the sand instead of leaving it all for outsiders to come and collect. It makes for a nice watch – to hear how the man actualised his dream of progressing his country further and, in turn, has made some discoveries that have left the world pleasantly surprised and looking forward to more.
It’s a hopeful and inspiring film that is also quite a thrilling showcase of the hardships and the celebrations of a successful dig. That being said, I feel that the film doesn’t touch on anything in-depth and speeds through the high points of a long and arduous process. Sure, maybe if we followed a 9/10 month process, we would get bored. However, we don’t see the low points quite as much, and even when we do, we rush through it to give time to something else. Even the successes aren’t given the time to breathe before we rush off to find what the other archaeologist is doing.
Apart from discovering tombs, crypts and pyramids, we also look into the relationship between the two archaeologists and the bond they share even when they term themselves “professional rivals”. The glimpses of fun banter give us a peek into their bonds as archaeologists who just want to do their country and its people proud and bring Egyptian archaeologists on the map. I liked their interactions – there are never any malice or threats of sabotage. It’s all good faith and smiles, which is a fresh take on these matters.
Unknown The Lost Pyramid Review: Final Thoughts
I enjoyed taking a glimpse into the complex process of archaeology and figuring out when and where one could find a pyramid hidden with secrets. Of course, a 1-hour 23-minute movie is probably not enough to encompass such a wide range of things. However, I do wish we got to take in everything that the movie had to offer with a little bit more time – I think it would have made a better impact had the creators focused on every aspect just a bit more.
Regardless, if you’re interested in ancient Egypt and everything that comes with it, Unknown: The Lost Pyramid proves to be a nice watch that will make you curious about the discoveries taking place in a magical land!
Unknown: The Lost Pyramid is streaming on Netflix.
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