AFGHANISTAN LAPIS: THE FIRST BLUE

The First Blue is a cultural preservation outreach program and artistic exhibition celebrating the beauty and legacy of the semi-precious stone, lapis lazuli. Lapis has been mined from the Sar-i Sang mines of Northern Afghanistan for over 9,000 years, making this the longest continually mined site in human history. Items made from Sar-i-sang lapis have been found in Neolithic burial sites in the Caucasus and can be seen in the burial mask of Tutankhamun. Upon its export to Europe in the Middle Ages, lapis powder became the most expensive and treasured paint of the Renaissance and Baroque periods.  

The First Blue documentary will follow lapis from the Sar-i Sang mines to the markets of Kabul. Our team will take it to the world’s top pigment maker to create the same legendary lapis paint that was treasured by Leonardo DaVinci.  Ten top Afghani artists will be given the paint and use it to create portraits of themselves. The paintings will be unveiled at the film’s world premiere.