A better history

In Skopje, a government plan costing several hundred million euros is creating a brand new, ancient city center; the project is called 'Skopje 2014.' So far, some thirty government buildings and museums, as well as countless monuments in the classic style have been erected in the Macedonian capital, in an attempt to put Skopje on a par with Rome and Athens. In some cases, existing socialist structures were incorporated into the new builds. A city looks for a future in history - Macedonia is inventing itself as a nation with historical status based on a model of antiquity that never existed in that form. Will it work? Will we buy that (hi)story? In 'A Better History,' present-day Skopje becomes an archaeological dig. We can follow in real time how history is made, how antiquity is constructed, how historical singularities are manufactured via mimicry, and how the boundary between truth and falsification becomes blurred the minute something is recorded often enough on postcards.