“The Linguists,” an official selection at the Sundance Film Festival, is about two linguists who race around the globe to document languages on the verge of distinction. It will be shown Friday, Feb. 6, at 6 p.m., at UNM in the College of Fine Arts room 2018. Following the screening, Gregory Anderson, one of the linguists, will be available for a question and answer session. Anderson collaborated with David Harrison on the project.
Scientists estimate that of the 7,000 world languages, half will be gone by the end of the century. On average, one language disappears every two weeks. Of the film, Vanity Fair reported, “The excitement of these two professors proves contagious, and as the film reveals how cultural shame and colonialism have factored in the loss of these languages, their incredible dedication becomes all the more compelling.” It was also reported to be “funny, enlightening and ultimately uplifting,” according to the Kansas City Star.
Anderson is director of the Living Tongues Institute for Endangered Languages, a non-profit organization dedicated to documenting, revitalizing and maintaining endangered languages.
To view a trailer of the film visit The Linguists.
Media Contact: Carolyn Gonzales, (505) 277-5920; e-mail: cgonzal@unm.edu
The sponsors of the event are the UNM departments of linguistics, cinematic arts, foreign languages and literatures, and the International Studies Institute.
The event is free and open to the public. For more information, call (505) 277-6353.