L'Apollon de Gaza

Reality proves stranger than fiction in this documentary equivalent of the Da Vinci Code, wherein an invaluable Apollo statue suddenly appears in the ocean off the shore of Gaza. The statue, which is said to be 2,000 years old, was discovered in 2013 but then disappeared without a trace. In this ceaselessly entertaining archeological thriller, the filmmaker goes in search of the solution to the mystery. The unexpected twists and turns, the speculations and the conspiracy theories equal the amazing characters he encounters – people who claim to have seen, or heard of, the legendary statue of the god of art, science and light. The Apollo of Gaza revolves around opposites such as truth and fiction, myth and reality, greed and honesty, but the Apollo of Gaza also becomes a symbol of dignity and hope in a region where armed conflict is never far away. (Göteborg Film Festival)