Decoding Dacia

Synopsis

The documentary revisits the unresolved question of “Who were the Dacians?” It focuses on the Roman Emperor Trajan’s six-year long two military campaigns against Dacia and its King Decebal between 101 and 106 AD. The documentary is not a literal history but an attempt to link past (who were the Dacians) to the present (what is the legacy) visible in the core regions of the Dacian Kingdom surrounding Sarmizgetusa, its center of power and sanctuary. Dacian Carpathian Mountain fortresses are a UNESCO Heritage Site. The film uses Trajan’s column in Rome, also a UNESCO Heritage Site, and its extensive bas-relief depictions combined with illustrations by artist Radu Oltean and contemporary on-location videography to create an artistic interpretation of the events and to cover on-going archaeological research.