The Undiscovered Country
The Undiscovered Country: Trailer from Peter Sutoris on Vimeo.
When the god Lowa created the world, he sent the artists Lewoj and Lanij to paint colorful patterns onto all the living creatures on Earth. According to Marshallese lore, the people of the Marshall Islands learned from the artists to create order by using colors to denote identity, rank, and duty amongst themselves. Living in isolation from the rest of the world, for millennia the Marshallese preserved this palette of colors unique to their way of life. The people of these islands today, however, face unprecedented challenges in navigating the defining colors of their past and discovering what it means to be Marshallese in the 21st century. The forces of globalization, cultural and economic imperialism, foreign military interests, and climate change all converge in the Central Pacific where the Marshallese are trying to forge a path towards ‘development.’
‘The Undiscovered Country’ explores the clash between tradition and modernity by fusing three art forms: documentary film, cell animation and theater. Combining the perspectives of Marshallese fishermen, students, politicians, activists, foreign educators, and anthropologists with the teachings of traditional Marshallese stories (bwebwenato) and the worlds of Marshallese adaptations of Shakespeare’s Hamlet and The Tempest, this documentary examines the impact of ‘development’ on Lowa’s colorful world.
Reviews
Jack Niedenthal, filmmaker & former liaison officer for the people of Bikini: “I found The Undiscovered Country enormously engaging and thought-provoking. I loved how this film cut to the bones of the characters who live in a culture-jumbled society on an island in the middle of the Pacific.”
Dr. Kenneth Bauer, Lecturer, Asian & Middle Eastern Studies Program, Dartmouth College: “The Undiscovered Country” is a provocative work with notable aesthetic and intellectual merit. Blending striking animation, rich dialogue, and smart camera work, the film offers a rich collection of views and perspectives on the promises and pitfalls of ‘development’. Students in my seminar on “Indigenous Knowledge and Development” at Dartmouth College were challenged by “The Undiscovered Country” to think more deeply about the meanings of development and how place informs different perspectives on globalization, industrialization, and the effects of modernity. I highly recommend this film for classes tackling these issues at the undergraduate and graduate levels!”
Giff Johnson, Editor, Marshall Islands Journal: “The film doesn’t offer answers, but it raises many questions about the impact of western culture in the Marshall Islands. The interviewees have much to comment on this subject and local viewers, especially, will find it both an entertaining and thought-provoking film to watch.”
To buy the movie, contact Peter Sutoris at: psutoris@gmail.com
