LL-L "Resources" 2005.05.16 (04) [E]

[Lowlands-L]

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L O W L A N D S - L * 16.MAY.2005 (04) * ISSN 189-5582 * LCSN 96-4226
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From: Ole Stig Andersen <osa at olestig.dk>
Subject: Summary: Films on Endangered Languages

Ron wrote:

> The only thing I found was wanting was that the concept of vanishing
> languages pretty much remained in the usual "exotic," "indigenous" area.
> With the exception of Flatow and Kaplan mentioning Yiddish as a minority
> in
> their own families of origin, there is nothing to suggest to the listener
> that there are for instance endangered European languages used by people
> most would not consider more "exotic" or "indigenous" than the population
> in
> whose shadows they live.  It is my opinion that the subject of endangered
> languages would be enhanced if the average European-descent "Western"
> person
> were given examples of languages being endangered in their geographical
> area
> of origin.

Maybe you can find I few examples from this:

May 5  I posted a query to three lists: Lowlands, Endangered-Languages and
Linguist:

"I am looking for TV documentaries and films about Endangered Languages, or
where language endangerment or revitalization is part of the story told."

The query yielded some 80 films, ranging from 2 minute TV spots over many
classic half-hour documentaries to a handfull of full-length feature movies
that may not be documentaries proper as much as revitalization projects in
their own right.

Most of them portray the situation of a single lg and/or a variety of
revitalisation efforts. A few tell the history of the destruction of a
particular language.

A third of the films are part of a a single impressive production: the
Canadian Finding Our Talk series of 26 half-hour films, all available in
four lgs. There are som ten further films from the Americas, about a dozen
on Finno-Ugric lgs of Norteastern Europe and similarly for Australia.

Except for the Archives of Babel series of small TV spots the query did not
elicit a single pointer to films about endangered African or South Asian
lgs. In general, the list leaves the unoffshakable impression that (some)
endangered lgs of the Rich are somewhat better off, publicitywise at least,
than the Rest, which is of course no wonder.

About a quarter of the films are (also) available online. Others are on VHS,
DVD and 35 mm film. A few are probably not available.

I have put up a webpage with detailed information ­ as far as I have it now
- on the 80 films: a tiny presentation of each, the lg(s) featured, lg
versions available, format, duration etc. There you'll also find links and
contact information on the film, the producer or distributor.

http://www.olestig.dk/endangered-languages/films.html

I believe this overview lists the majority of available
TV/Film-documentaries on endangered lgs. I'm looking forward to corrections,
additional information, further films etc.

I thank those who responded to the query and have credited them on the web
page.

Ole Stig Andersen

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From: R. F. Hahn <sassisch at yahoo.com>
Subject: Resources

Thank you so very much for this, Ole!  This is superb!

Nice to see that you listed documentation of Lushoseets, the original
language of our Greater Seattle area, and the foremost Lushoseets activist
Vi Hilbert (Vi taq seblu, born in 1918).  I've had the pleasure of meeting
this extraordinary woman.  She is a famous traditional story teller,
non-traditional only in that she tells all stories bilingually, Lushoseets
and English.  I highly recommend video recordings of her story telling, also
of that of Johnny Moses, another Northwestern story teller, of multi-tribal
and multilingual background
(http://shop.store.yahoo.com/soundstruestore/mosesj.html).  (I recommend
videos, because especially Johnny accompanies his stories with tradtional
"signing.")

Regards,
Reinhard/Ron

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