The Linguists is an independent 2008 American documentary film about language extinction and language documentation.
It follows two linguists, Greg Anderson of the University of Oregon and David Harrison of Swarthmore College, as they travel around the world to collect recordings of some of the last speakers of three moribund (dying) languages: Chulym in Siberia; Sora in Orissa, India; and Kallawaya in Bolivia.
Plot: David and Greg are “The Linguists,” who document languages on the verge of extinction. In the rugged landscapes of Siberia, India, and Bolivia, their resolve is tested by institutionalized racism and violent economic unrest.
Reception
The film was screened at the 2008 Sundance Film Festival, and later had some success on the “indie film circuit.” It also received attention among the linguistics community on websites such as Language Log. The film has received some minor criticism for choppy, confusing editing, but the subject matter has been called “fascinating” and “compelling,” and the spirit of the film’s protagonists has been compared to Indiana Jones.
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