The Linguists

Last updated
The Linguists
TheLinguists.jpg
Movie poster for The Linguists
Directed bySeth Kramer
Daniel A. Miller
Jeremy Newberger
Written byDaniel A. Miller
Produced bySeth Kramer
Daniel A. Miller
Jeremy Newberger
Starring Greg Anderson
K. David Harrison
CinematographySeth Kramer
Jeremy Newberger
Edited byAnne Barliant
Seth Kramer
Music byBrian Hawlk
Production
company
Release date
  • January 2008 (2008-01)(Sundance Film Festival)
Running time
64 minutes [1]
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

The Linguists is an independent 2008 American documentary film produced by Ironbound Films about language extinction and language documentation. It follows two linguists, Greg Anderson of the Living Tongues Institute for Endangered Languages [2] and David Harrison of Swarthmore College, [3] as they travel around the world to collect recordings of some of the last speakers of several moribund (dying) languages: Chulym in Siberia; Chemehuevi in Arizona, U.S.; Sora in Odisha, India; and Kallawaya in Bolivia. [1]

Contents

Production

Seth Kramer, one of the directors, describes how he first got the idea for The Linguists when, in Vilnius, Lithuania, he could not read Yiddish inscriptions on a path in spite of his Jewish heritage. He joined with Daniel A. Miller in 2003 to form Ironbound Films, and received a $520,000 grant from the National Science Foundation to support the film. [4] Later in 2003, the directors chose Anderson and Harrison to be the protagonists of the film. [5] In 2004, director Jeremy Newberger joined the project. [4]

It took three years to film The Linguists, and during this time over 200 hours of film were collected. [4] During this time, the cast and crew travelled to numerous remote areas that one reporter describes as "godforsaken," [5] and coped with physical ailments such as altitude sickness. [4]

The film was completed in August 2007. [4]

Content

The film begins with the fact that a large proportion of the world's languages (half, out of a total of 7,000, according to the film [5] ) are going extinct. The film's two protagonists, Anderson and Harrison, set out both to gather recordings of several endangered languages in order to document these languages later, and to educate viewers about the current rate of language extinction. [5] In the process, they travel to the Andes mountains in South America, to villages in Siberia, to English boarding schools in Odisha, India, and to an American Indian reservation in Arizona. [1] [5]

The film addresses issues including the spread of major global languages and how they contribute to language extinction; [5] [6] political and social reasons that some languages have been repressed; [1] [7] and reasons that language revitalization and language documentation are important (including both maintaining a scientific record of that language, and preserving unique local knowledge and history that is only carried in the local language). [4] [6]

Reception

The film was screened at the 2008 Sundance Film Festival, [8] and later had success on the "indie film circuit." [5] It also received attention among the linguistics community on websites such as Language Log. [9]

The film has been lauded as "the talk of the town at Sundance;" [10] "a fascinating journey;" [11] "funny, enlightening and ultimately uplifting;" [12] "a hoot;" [13] and “shaggy and bittersweet.” [14] While it received some minor criticism for choppy, confusing editing, [1] [8] the subject matter has been called "fascinating" [8] and "compelling," [15] and the spirit of the film's protagonists has been compared to Indiana Jones. [1]

Related Research Articles

Ethnologue: Languages of the World is an annual reference publication in print and online that provides statistics and other information on the living languages of the world. It is the world's most comprehensive catalogue of languages. It was first issued in 1951, and is now published by SIL International, an American evangelical Christian non-profit organization.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chemehuevi</span> Indigenous people of the Great Basin

The Chemehuevi are an indigenous people of the Great Basin. They are the southernmost branch of Southern Paiute. Today, Chemehuevi people are enrolled in the following federally recognized tribes:

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Endangered language</span> Language that is at risk of going extinct

An endangered language or moribund language is a language that is at risk of disappearing as its speakers die out or shift to speaking other languages. Language loss occurs when the language has no more native speakers and becomes a "dead language". If no one can speak the language at all, it becomes an "extinct language". A dead language may still be studied through recordings or writings, but it is still dead or extinct unless there are fluent speakers. Although languages have always become extinct throughout human history, they are currently dying at an accelerated rate because of globalization, mass migration, cultural replacement, imperialism, neocolonialism and linguicide.

Chulym, also known as Chulim, Chulym-Turkic, is the language of the Chulyms. The names which the people use to refer to themselves are 1. пистиҥ кишилер, pistɪŋ kiʃɪler and 2. ось кишилер, øs kiʃɪler. The native designation for the language are ось тил(и), øs til(ɪ) ~ ø:s til(ɪ), and less frequently тадар тил(и), tadar til(ɪ).

Josh Ralph, known professionally as J. Ralph, is an American composer, producer, singer/songwriter and social activist who focuses on creating awareness and change through music and film.

Language documentation is a subfield of linguistics which aims to describe the grammar and use of human languages. It aims to provide a comprehensive record of the linguistic practices characteristic of a given speech community. Language documentation seeks to create as thorough a record as possible of the speech community for both posterity and language revitalization. This record can be public or private depending on the needs of the community and the purpose of the documentation. In practice, language documentation can range from solo linguistic anthropological fieldwork to the creation of vast online archives that contain dozens of different languages, such as FirstVoices or OLAC.

Project Rebirth, Inc. is a U.S. 501(c)(3) non-profit organization created to support victims and early responders to catastrophic events through documentary footage recording the rebuilding at the site of World Trade Center following the September 11 attacks and seven years in the lives of people directly affected by the event. It also intends to create a Project Rebirth Center to help educate responders and the public about dealing with such events. The organization was created in honor of the victims of the September 11 attacks and those who responded to the attacks. Founded by producer Jim Whitaker, the organization is supported by dozens of corporate donors, including Aon Foundation, OppenheimerFunds Inc., and Lower Manhattan Development Corporation. All profits from its documentary film Rebirth, officially released in January 2011, go to the support of the Project Rebirth Center.

<i>In the Shadow of the Moon</i> (2007 film) 2007 British documentary film by David Sington

In the Shadow of the Moon is a 2007 British documentary film about the United States' crewed missions to the Moon. After premiering at the 2007 Sundance Film Festival, where it won the World Cinema Audience Award, it was given a limited release in the United States on 7 September 2007, and in Canada on 19 October.

The Living Tongues Institute for Endangered Languages (LTIEL) is a nonprofit 501 (c)(3) organization based in Salem, Oregon, United States. The institute's focus is to scientifically document endangered languages, as well as assist communities with maintaining and revitalizing knowledge of their native languages. The institute's founder and director is Dr. Gregory D. S. Anderson.

Kallawaya, also Callahuaya or Callawalla, is an endangered, secret, mixed language in Bolivia; another name sometimes used for the language is Pohena. It is spoken by the Kallawaya people, a group of traditional itinerant healers in the Andes in their medicinal healing practice living in Charazani, the highlands north of Lake Titicaca, and Tipuani.

<i>Downloading Nancy</i> 2008 American film

Downloading Nancy is a 2008 drama film directed by Johan Renck, starring Maria Bello and Jason Patric. It is loosely based on the death of Sharon Lopatka, who sought out someone who would torture her to death. The film premiered at the 2008 Sundance Film Festival, where it was nominated for a Grand Jury Prize.

<i>Gonzo: The Life and Work of Dr. Hunter S. Thompson</i> 2008 American film

Gonzo: The Life and Work of Dr. Hunter S. Thompson is a 2008 documentary film directed by Alex Gibney. It details Hunter S. Thompson's landmark writings on music and politics. Friends and family provide interviews to help describe the mythos of Hunter and his life.

<i>Man on Wire</i> 2008 documentary film directed by James Marsh

Man on Wire is a 2008 documentary film directed by James Marsh. The film chronicles Philippe Petit's 1974 high-wire walk between the Twin Towers of New York's World Trade Center. It is based on Petit's 2002 book, To Reach the Clouds, released in paperback with the title Man on Wire. The title of the film is taken from the police report that led to the arrest of Petit, whose performance lasted for almost an hour. The film is crafted like a heist film, presenting rare footage of the preparations for the event and still photographs of the walk, alongside re-enactments and present-day interviews with the participants, including Barry Greenhouse, an insurance executive who served as the inside man.

K. David Harrison is a Canadian and American linguist, anthropologist, author, filmmaker, and activist for the documentation and preservation of endangered languages.

Enduring Voices is a project for documenting world's endangered languages and trying to prevent language extinction by identifying the most crucial areas where languages are endangered and embarking on expeditions to record these languages. Launched in 2007 by the joint effort of the Living Tongues Institute for Endangered Languages and the National Geographic Society, it has organized expeditions to language "hotspots" around the world, e.g. to Australia, Bolivia, East India. Enduring Voices tries to understand the geographic dimensions of language distribution, determine how linguistic diversity is linked to biodiversity and bring wider attention to the issue of language loss. The Enduring Voices Project assists indigenous communities in their efforts to revitalize and maintain their threatened languages.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ironbound Films</span>

Ironbound Films is an American independent documentary film production company. Their films focus on stories of how people succeed and fail to connect. Their 2008 film The Linguists and 2010 film The New Recruits, were about characters whose missteps undermined their stated intentions but also exposed their humanity. Another feature documentary, Évocateur: The Morton Downey Jr. Movie, is about controversial 1980s talk-show icon Morton Downey Jr. and premiered at the 2012 Tribeca Film Festival. Heading Home: The Tale of Team Israel is a 2018 documentary film that The Jerusalem Post described as "the David-and-Goliath story of Israel’s national baseball team as it competed for the first time in the World Baseball Classic." The 87-minute film won the Audience Award for Best Documentary at the 2018 Gold Coast International Film Festival, the Audience Award for Documentary at the 2018 Washington Jewish Film Festival, the Audience Award for Best Documentary Feature at the 2018 Philadelphia Jewish Film Festival, the Best Documentary Film Award at the 2018 Boca Raton Jewish Film Festival, and the Best Documentary Award at the 2018 Jewish Arts and Film Festival of Fairfield County.

Gregory David Shelton Anderson is an American linguist specializing in languages of Siberia, Munda languages, and auxiliary verbs. Anderson earned his doctorate in linguistics from the University of Chicago in 2000, and is currently director of the Living Tongues Institute for Endangered Languages. He was featured in the documentary film The Linguists.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Margaret Florey</span> Australian linguist

Margaret Florey is an Australian linguist whose work focuses on the revitalization and maintenance of Indigenous Australian languages. She has documented changes in contemporary speech, such as the expression Yeah, no which is becoming more prevalent in Australia.

<i>The Anthropologist</i> (film) 2015 film

The Anthropologist is a 2015 American documentary film directed by Seth Kramer, Daniel A. Miller, and Jeremy Newberger of Ironbound Films. The film follows environmental anthropologist Susie Crate and her teenage daughter Katie as they visit indigenous communities threatened by climate change. Featuring commentary from Mary Catherine Bateson, daughter of famed anthropologist Margaret Mead, the film explores how human beings adapt to catastrophic change.

Diane Hope Weyermann was an American film producer who was the chief content officer of Participant Media, a film and television production company.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Honeycutt, Kirk (18 January 2008). "The Linguists". The Hollywood Reporter . Retrieved 22 February 2009.
  2. Boyle, Alan (26 February 2009). "The Race To Save Our Languages". MSNBC . Archived from the original on 28 February 2009. Retrieved 13 July 2009.
  3. Brooks, Anthony (25 January 2008). "'The Linguists': Saving the World's Languages". WBUR . Retrieved 22 February 2009.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Hughes, Jennifer V (13 January 2008). "Racing to Capture Vanishing Languages". The New York Times . Retrieved 22 February 2009.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Garreau, Joel (2 October 2008). "Babble On, Say Researchers In 'Linguists' Documentary". The Washington Post . Retrieved 22 February 2009.
  6. 1 2 "Saving Dying Languages in 'The Linguists'". Weekend Edition . National Public Radio. 21 February 2009. Retrieved 22 February 2009.
  7. Ellison, Jesse (14 February 2009). "Say It Loud, Say It Proud". Newsweek . Retrieved 21 February 2009.
  8. 1 2 3 Chang, Justin (18 January 2008). "Sundance 2008: The Linguists". Variety . Retrieved 22 February 2009.
  9. Baković, Eric (21 February 2009). "Set your recorders now!". Language Log . Retrieved 22 February 2009.
  10. Honeycutt, Kirk (21 January 2008). ""Linguists" the talk of the town at Sundance". Reuters . Retrieved 13 July 2009.
  11. Turan, Kenneth (16 January 2008). "Small town, large impact". Los Angeles Times . Retrieved 13 July 2009.
  12. Barnhart, Aaron (25 February 2008). "'The Linguists': A thrilling pursuit of cultural relics". The Kansas City Star . Retrieved 13 July 2009.[ dead link ]
  13. Allis, Sam (26 February 2009). "'Linguists' explore a world of words". The Boston Globe . Retrieved 14 July 2009.
  14. Lloyd, Robert (30 June 2009). "Review: 'The Linguists' on KCET". Los Angeles Times . Retrieved 13 July 2009.
  15. "At Sundance: Documentaries Take the Day". Vanity Fair . 23 January 2008. Archived from the original on 12 May 2009. Retrieved 22 February 2009.