Tuesday, September 16, 2008

The Linguists - a very foreign language film

"As Sundance moved past the weekend it was fast becoming clear that ... the stars of the festival line-up would not be features but documentaries. One standout was The Linguists, a fantastic little film that follows professors David Harrison and Gregory Anderson as they crisscross the globe on a mission to document languages.... The excitement of these two professors proves contagious, and as the film reveals how cultural shame and colonialism have factored in the loss of these languages, their incredible dedication becomes all the more compelling." –Vanity Fair

To view the trailer for this movie, visit The Linguists website: www.thelinguists.com

Also take the time to read this write-up by the National Science Foundation, who helped fund the film...
"In Siberia, fewer than 25 elderly people speak Chulym, a language spoken for generations by traditional hunter-gatherers and fishermen in small rural villages. In Bolivia, a language once spoken by healers to the Inca emperor is on the verge of extinction. In the Orissa state in the east of India, younger generations no longer speak Sora, a language of the region with a complex and expressive way of putting words together."

The Linguists will be screening locally at the 7th Annual San Francisco Documentary Film Festival, taking place October 17th–November 6th, and at the 11th Annual United Nations Association Film Festival on October 22nd, in Palo Alto. It was an official selection at the 2008 Sundance Film Festival, and was quite the talk of the town there. Won't want to miss it when it comes around these parts!

****UPDATE****
This film is showing two places:
Sun. Oct 19 2008, 12:30 pm | Roxie Cinema
Sun. Nov 2 2008, 12:30 pm | Shattuck Cinema

Tickets are $10.50, and you can buy them by clicking here.

If you have any interest in seeing this event, please participate in the discussion here by leaving a comment. Thanks!

8 comments:

Noah K. said...

This looks fabulous! Let's plan a movie outing in October to go see this!

Fledgelings said...

Fantastic idea!

Anonymous said...

ditto!

Anonymous said...

I'm in for Sunday the 19th!

Neal said...

I'm down.

Noah K. said...

Hey All,
Count me in for the
Nov. 2nd in Berkeley showing.
How about Brunch beforehand?

Fledgelings said...

Yep, I think I'll be going to both. I'm linguistically nerdy like that. And brunch is a great idea! Know any good spots in downtown Berkeley?

Fledgelings said...

UPDATE: 11:00 am, let's meet at Frjtz for crepes, Belgian beer, and fries with lots of dipping sauces. Located near the Roxie Theater at 590 Valencia St (between 16th St & 17th St). Movie starts at 12:30.