Lantéc Chaná
(Lantéc Chaná)
Marina Zeising / Argentina / 2017 / 61 min
Georgia Indigenous Film Festival
International Film and Indigenous Arts Festival Chile
FIDBA Buenos Aires Documentary International Film Festival
La Habana International Film Festival
Latin American Trieste Film Festival
Uruguay International Film Festival
Pricing
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Chaná and Spanish with English subtitles
With Blas Jaime, Pedro Viegas Barros
Lantéc Chaná is a compelling documentary that tells the story of Blas Wilfredo Omar Jaime, a 71-year-old retiree from Entre Ríos Province, Argentina. Remarkably, Jaime is recognized as the last living speaker of Chaná, an indigenous language believed to have been extinct since 1815.
The film closely follows the extraordinary partnership between Jaime and Pedro Viegas Barros, a renowned linguist specializing in indigenous South American languages. Through their collaboration, Viegas Barros meticulously documented and analyzed Jaime’s knowledge of Chaná. As a result, his research led UNESCO to formally recognize Chaná as a living, though “extremely endangered,” language. Jaime’s role as the sole native speaker is now acknowledged worldwide.
Directed by Marina Zeising, the documentary explores the cultural significance of reviving the Chaná language. It delves into themes such as indigenous identity, cultural preservation, and the crucial role of individual memory in safeguarding collective heritage. Throughout the film, viewers witness Jaime and Viegas Barros working tirelessly to document the language and its associated cultural practices. Their efforts aim to create a lasting record, ensuring that the Chaná legacy is not lost forever.
Related Subjects
About the Director
Marina Zeising is an Argentine filmmaker, writer, and university professor born in Buenos Aires. She began directing films at age 15 and holds a degree in Image and Sound Design from the University of Buenos Aires, with a postgraduate degree in Cultural Management from the University of Tres de Febrero. With over 20 years in the industry, she has produced and directed a great number of documentaries and feature films, including the critically acclaimed Lantéc Chaná (2016), which documents the preservation of Argentina’s endangered Chaná language. She founded the production company Actitud Cine, focusing on documentary filmmaking and cultural heritage projects.
Press
“This language was long believed extinct. Then one man spoke up.” – Natalie Alcoba, The New York Times
“A valuable and original documentary... Lantéc Chaná possesses an immeasurable value that will remain as a source of consultation on a fascinating subject.” – Escribiendo Cine
“A film about people, about their history, their political dimension, their struggles, their past and their present. And it is, moreover, a good starting point to begin debating and questioning our own history—mine, ours, everyone's.” – Gabriela Lopez Zubiria, Hacese la critica