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Mummies: secrets of the Pharaohs - Christopher Lee, Elana Drago, Zahi Hawass, Keith Melton

Threat advisory: Low - Low risk of entertaining activities

Movie propaganda

Mummies: secrets of the Pharaohs brings to life ancient wonders, historic intrigue and a modern-day forensic adventure, all in one eye-popping new film opening 9 August 2007 at the IMAX Theatre Sydney.

The worldwide curiosity about mummification is an age-old phenomenon as enduring as mummies themselves. During Egypt's history, literally millions of mummies were made. In Mummies: secrets of the Pharaohs, filmgoers will marvel at the sight of these human time capsules, shown in larger-than-life detail on the giant screen.

Narrated by actor Christopher Lee, Mummies: secrets of the Pharaohs unravels some of the mysteries enshrouding the ancient royal mummies, how they were embalmed and where they were hidden, and also recreates the dramatic story of their recovery - an Indiana Jones-type tale of tomb-raiders and hidden treasure that led to one of the most significant archaeological finds in modern history.

Featuring top researchers, such as Egyptologists Dr Bob Brier and Dr Zahi Hawass (head of Egypt's antiquities) and DNA scientist Angelique Corthals, the film also embarks on a genetic analysis of mummies that could have huge implications for the study of modern human diseases.

Filmed by award-winning director Keith Melton and renowned cinematographer Reed Smoot, Mummies features breathtaking scenes of natural beauty and stunning locations combined with incredible CGI sequences, lavish sets and period recreations that immerse viewers in different eras of Egyptian history. IMAX cameras capture sweeping images of the swirling desert sand dunes and dramatic rocky cliffs of the Northern Sahara and the real wonders of Egypt at key historic sites with treasures honouring Egypt's most prolific Pharaohs.

“Mummies: secrets of the Pharaohs is about the search for the extension of life,” says Keith Melton, director. “The ancient Egyptians created elaborate burial and mummification rites in the hopes that those who led a decent life in society would go on to a better paradise, that their 'spirit' would continue to live.”

Interwoven throughout the film's historic narrative is a modern-day forensic story, a scientific journey to extract clues about our past that could have an impact on our future.

“I hope people leave the theatre with a sense of awe and wonder,” says Melton. “I hope this film, even in a small way, helps people to see the continuity of civilisation, of the importance of knowing where we've been, and the power and strength of learning from other people and cultures.”

Theatrical propaganda posters

Target demographic movie keyword propaganda

Film documentary drama Egypt mummy wrapping recreation forensics pyramid

Persons of interest

Elana Drago .... Nefertari
William Hope .... Charles Wilbour
Nasser Memarzia .... Ahmed Abd El Rassoul
Crispin Redman .... Emil Brugsch
Daud Shah .... Mohammed Abd El Rassoul
Boris Terral .... Rameses
Bob Brier .... Himself
Angelique Corthals .... Herself
Zahi Hawass .... Himself
Mohammed Kacha .... Anubis Priest
Abdellah Kloul .... Khaemwaset
Erragragui Lakbir .... Scribe
Christopher Lee .... Narrator
Driss Ouabi .... European husband
Laafou Ouadii .... Travelling Priest
Mohamen Mehdi Ouazanni .... Paser
Nasser Ouji .... Heqa Nakht
Patricia Remler .... European Lady
Fdila Tabounout .... Omm Rassoul
Arabella Cecil .... Screenwriter
Keith Melton .... Director

Cinematic intelligence sources

Mummies: secrets of the Pharaohs official movie site
Mummies: secrets of the Pharaohs film production notes
Mummies: secrets of the Pharaohs QuickTime movie trailers
Awards and film festivals:

Studios and distributors:

Imax

Intelligence analyst

Secret Agent Acid Thunder

Theatrical report

To start when you ask your significant other if this is a movie or a documentary, think long and hard about if you've heard of any recent Mummies films. Seriously, this is IMAX, and while trendy people think it's the best place to see a motion picture, I'll be willing to wager that they either haven't been yet or changed their tune after seeing Spider-man 3. IMAX is meant for documentaries, but not this one. Mummies: secrets of the Pharaohs isn't so hot on the documentary list of "things to see". Trouble with it is that it doesn't really tell you what it wants to cover or examine in its opening statements; it also fails to do anything more than leave you wondering, "I knew this already, I thought they were going to give me some answers..." and like an old X-Files episode, this documentary left me wondering if it was produced just to get the public back into Egyptology or if it was a fund raising clip. Many topics were covered, but very little time was spent on any given subject and from the way it was presented, I was left wondering what each subject had to do with another, aside from it obviously being about ancient Egypt.

For the trendier people out there, I'll say this: IMAX is not something you watch Superman on, because I doubt your brain can process that much information all at once, documentaries are great, but seriously consider what you're getting when you pay to see a documentary in the cinema when you could just as easily (and on the cheaper side too) watch it on SBS or ABC.

The documentary, drama movie Mummies: secrets of the Pharaohs is directed by Keith Melton and stars Christopher Lee, Elana Drago, Zahi Hawass.