If you like Kon-Tiki ...
... then check out "The Last Navigator," a 50-minute film directed Andre Singer in 1989. Set in Micronesia, “The Last Navigator” documents a 500-plus mile open sea voyage from the Micronesian island of Satawal to Saipan in a traditional outrigger and without the aid of modern navigational equipment.
Among the crew is American navigator Stephen Thomas, who spent nine months learning the navigation traditions of the Satawal islanders. Thomas is taught by Piailug, to whom the film’s title refers. Piailug is considered the most experienced of the Satawal islanders, if not all of Micronesia. Discouraged by the younger islanders’ lack of interest in learning traditional navigation, Piailug reluctantly agrees to teach Thomas, lest his cultural knowledge be forgotten.
I caught the film at the British Museum as part of their Power and Taboo exhibition. From my brief search on the internet, I've come to the conclusion that it's pretty hard to catch a viewing of this film and that it's not on DVD or at least not readily available to the public. However, I did notice that a paperback written by Stephen Thomas and sharing the same title as the film is for sale on Amazon.
Click here for a listing of films playing at the British Museum as part of the Power and Taboo exhibition.
Click here for more info about "The Last Navigator."
Among the crew is American navigator Stephen Thomas, who spent nine months learning the navigation traditions of the Satawal islanders. Thomas is taught by Piailug, to whom the film’s title refers. Piailug is considered the most experienced of the Satawal islanders, if not all of Micronesia. Discouraged by the younger islanders’ lack of interest in learning traditional navigation, Piailug reluctantly agrees to teach Thomas, lest his cultural knowledge be forgotten.
I caught the film at the British Museum as part of their Power and Taboo exhibition. From my brief search on the internet, I've come to the conclusion that it's pretty hard to catch a viewing of this film and that it's not on DVD or at least not readily available to the public. However, I did notice that a paperback written by Stephen Thomas and sharing the same title as the film is for sale on Amazon.
Click here for a listing of films playing at the British Museum as part of the Power and Taboo exhibition.
Click here for more info about "The Last Navigator."
1 comment:
There is also a book written by Lino Olopai, one of the sailors in that movie. The book is called The Rope of Tradition. I'm not sure where you can buy one offisland, but here is a picture of the cover:
http://jetapplicant.blogspot.com/2006/07/read-this-book.html
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