[Linganth] films on indigenous languages?

[Edwin Everhart]

Hello everyone,

Another excellent film for this purpose is "Pidgin: The Voice of Hawai'i"
(2009).

"Pidgin" discusses the symbolic reevaluation of Hawai'i Pidgin, and this
has major parallels to language revitalization contexts (including, for
example, a Bible translation project). Yes, most of Pidgin is not based on
indigenous Hawai'ian language, but as Kanalu Young argues in the film,
Pidgin has been the primary language of social life for indigenous
Hawai'ian people for many decades.

Moreover I think it is perhaps relevant to include a film like "Pidgin" if
for no other reason than to illustrate this point made by Jane Hill in 2002
(building on Woodbury 1993): “the shift to the exclusive use of world
and/or regional languages by these populations has generally brought no
gain in symbolic capital because the varieties of languages like English,
Spanish, and Russian that are spoken in marginalized groups are in turn
stigmatized, just as were the tongues that have been abandoned.” (Hill,
Jane. 2002. "Expert Rhetorics" in Advocacy for Endangered Languages: Who Is
Listening, and What Do They Hear? Journal of Linguistic Anthropology 12:2,
pg. 130)

Here is the film's website: http://pidginthevoiceofhawaii.com/

Edwin K. Everhart

On Wed, 13 Feb 2019 at 18:01, Lise Dobrin <lise.dobrin at gmail.com> wrote:

> Hi Mike and all,
>
> This may be the fictional film Paul Sutherland was trying to remember. Our
> Linguistics club screened it last spring, and I found it a delight to
> watch. It is definitely fictional, but valuable in that it puts language in
> its place as just one of many facets of endangered language speakers'
> lives.
>
> I Dream in Another Language (Sueño en Otro Idioma) <http:/>, winner of
> Sundance's World Cinema Dramatic audience award (2017).
>
> Martín (Fernando Álvarez Rebeil, THE DARKNESS, GRINGO) is a linguist on a
> mission to save Zikril, an indigenous language with just two remaining
> speakers — who happen to be locked in a decades-long feud. Journeying to a
> remote Mexican village, Martín tries to coax Evaristo (Eligio Meléndez) and
> Isauro (José Manuel Poncelis) into reconciliation, discovering in the
> process how a dispute over a woman has kept the stubborn men apart for 50
> years. With the help of Evaristo's daughter, however, Martín finds that the
> true cause for the rift is far more complex. With lush photography and a
> heartfelt message, Ernesto Contreras' debut is an uplifting story of
> friendship and the enduring power of language. 2017, color, 103 min. In
> Spanish with English subtitles. - AFI Silver
>
>
> Lise
>
> On Feb 8, 2019, at 11:15 AM, Michael Arthur Uzendoski Benson <
> mauzendoski at flacso.edu.ec> wrote:
>
> Hello,
> I am wondering if anyone can recommend a film or films that highlight the
> struggle or work for language revitalization among indigenous peoples?  Or
> the relation of language to daily life....  We are looking for films that
> are appropriate for a Spanish speaking audience (subtitles are fine).  Our
> Visual Anthropology program wants to host a festival and event about
> indigenous languages here at the University.  Thanks for your help!
> Abrazos, Michael
>
> --
> Michael A. Uzendoski, PhD Anthropology
> Profesor / Investigador
> Antropología, Historia, y Humanidades
> Responsable MA en Antropología
> *Horario de atención a estudiantes: lunes y miércoles 2-4pm con cita
> previa *
> Tel: (593)22946800 x 4606
> Dirección: Piso 6, Of. 601, Edif. Biblioteca FLACSO, Calle San Salvador
> E7-42 y La Pradera, Quito, ECUADOR
>
> Lise M. Dobrin
> Associate Professor
> Linguistics Program Director
> Department of Anthropology
> University of Virginia
> Brooks Hall 202
> PO Box 400120
> Charlottesville, VA 22904-4120 USA
> 1-434-924-7048
> dobrin at virginia.edu
>
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>


-- 
Edwin K. Everhart, PhD
Lecturer, UCLA Department of Anthropology
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