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Unity Through Culture

Christian Suhr, Ton Otto

Unity Through Culture
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About

Soanin Kilangit is determined to unite the people and attract international tourism through the revival of culture on Baluan Island in the South Pacific. He organizes the largest cultural festival ever held on the island, but some traditional leaders argue that Baluan never had culture and that culture comes from the white man and is now destroying their old tradition.

Others, however, take the festival as a welcome opportunity to revolt against '70 years of cultural oppression' by Christianity. A struggle to define the past, present and future of Baluan culture erupts to the sound of thundering log drum rhythms.

Reviews

"...the various disputes that come forth during the film will provide an excellent teaching tool and springboard for myriad discussions associated with issues involving kastom, tradition, change, authenticity, performance, identity, cultural politics, exchange, and the impact of the West on traditional societies." -- Karen Stevenson, American Anthropologist, September 2012

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Credits

SCREENINGS & AWARDS

The Archaeology Channel International Film and Video Festival, USA, 2014

Freiburger Film Forum, Germany, 2013

Kratovo Ethnographic Film Festival, Macedonia, 2013

European Association for Social Anthropologists Biennial Meeting EASA, Paris, 2012

Anthropology in the World, Royal Anthropological Institute and British Museum Centre for Anthropology, London, 2012

The Intangible Culture Film Prize, Royal Anthropological Institute Festival, 2011

The Richard Werbner Award for Visual Ethnography, Royal Anthropological Institute Festival, 2011

Taiwan International Ethnographic Film Festival, Taipei, 2011

Society for Visual Anthropology Festival, AAA Meeting, Montreal, 2011

Hawaii International Film Festival HIFF, Honolulu, 2011

The International Festival for Ethnological Film, Belgrade, 2011

VISCULT - Festival of Visual Culture, Finland, 2011

Days of Ethnographic Cinema, Moscow, 2011

The NAFA Festival, St Andrews, 2011

IUAES/AAS/ASAANZ Conference 2011 Perth, 2011

Royal Anthropological Institute Festival for Ethnographic Film, London, 2011

Broadcast, Taiwan Indigenous TV, Taipei, 2011


Unity Through Culture


Directed by 

Ton Otto

Christian Suhr


Produced by 

Ton Otto

Christian Suhr


Film Editing by 

Ton Otto

Christian Suhr


Sound Department 

Steffen Dalsgaard

Christian Suhr


Camera and Electrical Department 

Steffen Dalsgaard

Christian Suhr





 


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