An Award-Winning Short Documentary
The Return Address
Where Does Heritage Belong?
A short documentary shot on location in London and Paris, The Return Address explores the question of why heritage objects matter to each and every one of us, and where they belong: in museums in world cities, or in the places they originally came from. With a neutral, holistic approach, it presents both sides of this long-ongoing debate, both the benefits and problems with repatriating artefacts. An interdisciplinary panel of heritage experts walk viewers through both practical factors – threats to objects’ safety, where heritage is best cared for, in what display context it will make the most sense to visitors – and artefacts’ psychological and sentimental value. The film outlines the impact of heritage on everyone, from museum-goers in megacities to communities and displaced refugees all over the world who share in the cultural background of these objects.
The Return Address overall illuminates the true value of heritage – its ability to resonate with each and every one of us, and its poignant connection to cultural identity. It invites us all to take part in a discussion that is by no means restricted to curators and academics.
The film’s social media platforms thus exist as open spaces for comments, agreement and disagreement, where viewers are encouraged to continue this conversation:
A Note on Inclusivity
This project aimed to address a lack of accessibility within the debate over artefact repatriation. The discussion can often seem reserved for academics and professionals, and members of the communities which the objects in question arguably belong to, all of whom are considered qualified or justified for having an opinion, and rightfully so. As a result, this conversation can seem daunting for museum-goers and the general public, who may be getting to grips with this topic for the first time.
With the priority of making this debate digestible, many of the complex issues and multiple perspectives involved may come across broad and general, when in fact they are far more nuanced and vary greatly from case to case. More importantly, there are many more voices to be heard than those shown on screen, especially those of indigenous communities, marginalised peoples and minority groups who advocate for the return of objects currently in museum collections.
So this project is very much a starting place. It aims to encourage more and more people to think about the controversies at stake when they visit museums, hopefully inspiring greater curiosity about heritage objects, more critical thinking about the institution of the museum, and wider visibility for the long-silenced voices who raise claims against them. But the conversation doesn’t stop here, neither does your learning, and you are qualified to take part. This discussion is for you, too.
Press
‘The Return Address: Where Does Heritage Belong?’ Shared Resource – GEM: the voice for heritage learning
The Return Address: Where Does Heritage Belong? has been featured amongst practical resources designed for use by museum and heritage education practitioners working with a wide range of audiences.
King's alumna directs short documentary about the repatriation of artefacts – King’s College London News
Should museums return cultural artefacts? Issabella Orlando, King's Classics alumna, presents key arguments both for and against returning objects to countries of origin in her directorial debut, 'The Return Address: Where Does Heritage Belong?'.
Contested Heritage on Film: An interview with Issabella Orlando on her award winning documentary ‘The Return Address’ – EuroClio
We checked in with Issabella to talk about her work on Contested Histories project, the process of making a documentary, and her hopes for the future of the cultural heritage debate.
Screenings
The Return Address has been screened at universities and sixth-form colleges across the U.K. and disseminated all over the world by these and more institutions.
Credits
Written and Directed by Issabella Orlando; Director of Photography & Edited by Jamie Jsn; Produced by Eliana Henrich.
Cast: Dr. Hiba Alkhalaf (King’s College London); Dr. Tassos Papacostas (King’s College London); Prof. Michael Squire (King’s College London); Dr. Peter Stewart (University of Oxford); Dr. Estelle Strazdins (University of Cambridge); Dr. Will Wootton (King’s College London).
Narrated by Deanna Orlando; Visual Effects by Mark Yfantidis.
Many thanks to the Gilbert Murray Trust, the Society for the Promotion of Roman Studies, and to our GoFundMe supporters for making this project possible.
