Diary 319
Diary 319
Monday, February 1st
Tonight, as the snowstorm raged and as the coup in Myanmar continued, we settled down to watch ‘The Dig’ (Netflix)
This is the dramatization of the Sutton Hoo archaeological dig in England, in 1939, and the extraordinary treasures it unearthed. But it is far more than that. It is a beautiful, pitch-perfect evocation of the time, with probing insights into the concept of History, who owns it, and what time might be for us; it asks questions about class, sexism, death and what a life of meaning might look like – settling in the end for an endorsement of work as something one does because it needs to be done well, and not for ego gratification. In that sense it is extraordinarily apt for our time – a time when so many politicians (and others) do whatever they can for personal gain and care less about the planet, the future, or anyone else.
Sometimes I finish watching a movie and I wonder what I’ve had for my money. At other times I emerge feeling enriched, stimulated, moved, and reminded of important things. ‘The Dig’ is firmly in that category.
