|
|
|
|
|
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
films of the Khanty |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
World of the Khanty
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
The film
series shows the life of a Khanty family. The family uses Russian to talk
with strangers, such as the Nenets living in the same area, but use their
Finno-Ugrian mother tongue among themselves. Small languages and dialects are
disappearing at an alarming pace throughout the world. Khanty, one of the
many endangered languages, is spoken in the film. The Voguls and the
Ostyaks – or the Mansi and Khanty as they call themselves – live in the vast
watershed of the River Ob in western Siberia. The small group shown in the
film lives in the northernmost area of this region. Their archaic way of life
can in part be attributed to the area’s peripheral nature because they have
been less affected by industrialisation and civilisation than the other
groups. The reindeer herds and
the family tending them are constantly on the move, forced to migrate in part
because the reindeer cannot feed on the sparse pastures for long, and in part
because the herd migrates from the winter campsite in the south to the more
northerly coast of the Arctic Ocean and Ural Mountains, where the fresh winds
drive the mosquitoes away. In autumn, they begin the long trek southward,
covering several hundred kilometres. Temporary campsites are established
every three to six days in winter and every two days in summer. Owing to this
constant migration, the form, size and weight of the sleds and implements
used by the Khanty are designed with an eye to practicality, enabling them to
be easily packed and unpacked. Reindeer are the basis of life on the tundra
since it is virtually the only meat available there. Their hide is used for
bedding, clothing and footwear, their sinews are utilised as thread, their
bones and antlers for making various tools and implements. Migration too is
enabled by the reindeer pulling the sleds over both snow and grass on the
tundra. The films offer a
glimpse into the daily life of the Khanty reindeer herders, the dangerous
winter migration, and their concerns. The camera becomes their friend with
whom they talk and through it speak to the viewer. This intimacy enables a
better understanding of their life. Awards: Guangzhou International Documentary Film Festival,
China 2008 - nominated Worldfilm
Film Festival, Estonia 2009 – nominated Japan Wildlife Film Festival 2009 – Nature and People Award |
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
