Description of an Island (Beschreibung einer Insel)

DESCRIPTION OF AN ISLAND

made by Rudolf Thome & Cynthia Beatt

with the locals of Ureparapara

Sound Max Hensser

Cinematography Matthew Flanagan / Sebastian Schroeder

Camera assistance Peter Sinclair Assistant editor Jeanette Massnick

Editor Clarissa Ambach

Production MOANA - Film GmbH Berlin

- Do you feel alright? - Yes, but I'll be glad when I have

land under my feet again. That's what I'm looking forward to most.

Say, can you see that? That's the shipwreck.

- Can you see it? - Ah, yes! - Yes?

That's the French district agent ship

that crashed into the reef because of the hurricane.

- Where is it? - There on that side. Back there.

- Ah! - Say, was it all a volcano in there?

Yeah, I think so. I think the whole island was a volcano.

And then maybe it broke in two after an explosion. But I don't know.

- Is that the end of the bay up ahead? - I think that's...

- Or does it continue around the curve? - I don't think so. No.

- On the map, it's enclosed. - Yes.

That means it ends over there.

- Where's the village? - What?

- Where's the village? - I don't know.

It's supposed to be somewhere on this side.

You can never see them at first.

They're usually a little hidden in the woods.

You can never see them at first.

I think it's nice that it's going up that way.

It gives such a wide impression.

The island looks completely different if you approach it from the other side.

I'm looking for people. Where are they?

- Do they know we're coming today? - I don't know.

I hope they heard our radio message.

The water is so beautiful now. Just so undulating.

I didn't imagine it to be this huge. I thought it would be much smaller.

Seven kilometres, but with lower mountains. It's huge.

So I think Mr. Selwyn is going to translate what I say, because I can't

explain it well enough in Bislama.

I think my brother explained something of what we want to do here, but

I think I'm going to try and explain the book that we want to make.

We've come here because we want to learn about everything on this island.

About your customs. And your language. And your stories.

And your songs. And also about what you plant in your gardens.

And about the birds. And about the plants and the trees.

And the fish and the shells.

And we want to describe everything in our book.

And each one of us is going to undertake a special area

of this work. For instance, Paula is going to

study all the plants and what you use them for.

But to do this, we really need your help. I mean, we can't do it

unless you help us with this work. And...

And that's basically what we want to ask you:

If we can stay here? And if you will help us with this work?

And we also need a place to live for the six months that we want to stay here,

and we need food during that time.

Could you translate that?

The custom chief asks this: Why did you come here?

We are worried. Have you possibly come to take our land?

Have you come with good intentions, or to steal from us?

Well, maybe I can answer the first part. We came to Ureparapara

because it's a small island, and we need a small island

to be able to do all the work we've set out to do.

And as for stealing the land,

I mean, I know the history of the New Hebrides, and I can understand why

Jonathan would think something like that.

I can only say that we're not interested in

taking anything away from you.

We're only interested in learning about the way you live. And of course,

because we need your help, we want to

pay you for the work that you do.

The custom chief says: "I think we want something that will help us all."

Not money, but something else.

- Like what? - Something like a boat.

We can do it. We could take the money and

go to the nearest island someday soon to buy a boat.

That should work. We should be able to get one for $1800.

Yes.

Even though it might cost a little more.

It's just that right now...

This is the condition

for us to be able to stay here.

For six months.

I think it's actually a good idea.

It's actually much better than giving them money.

Yes, I think so too.

Me too.

Just tell him.

Okay, we agree. Of course, we have to find a boat.

I feel reminded of gardening in my childhood.

Every Sunday weeds were plucked.

How do you say? They overlap.

Have you seen this sea shell?

It's twisted that way.

Ah! No, I haven't seen it.

They can open up to let air in. They're like...

Like what?

- Submarines. - Submarines.

- Submarines. - Submarines.

Yellow submarines.

And when you cut them, the middle looks just the same.

Do you look for fish?

I don't like you.

Nancy, can you get my shoes?

Thank you, Nancy.

Will you go under the water now, Nancy?

I can't see anything.

What are you doing over there?

- Coconuts? - Oh, great.

They collected them.

Are you done here?

Almost done.

You could have helped us.

That's good. Look at this. I've already got a blister here.

This doesn't look good. It's bleeding.

Yeah, from the hard work. While you were growing a beard.

No, that was black sand.

We all had a bath.

But you should wash that first.

- Are you going to the river? - Hand me that band-aid.

Did we bring anything for lunch?

I brought the sweet potatoes.

They're in the leaves.

Are they already cooked or do we have to cook them first?

No, they're already cooked.

- But do the chickens eat this? - No.

Chickens don't eat seed.

If they do, we kill them.

Okay, which ground do we put on top? Just like this?

Yes?

- It's okay? - Yeah, show me now!

Now we can see what it's like here.

And we have a more precise idea

of the actual order of the book.

Or rather the structuring, and how everything fits together.

Yeah, except I don't think we can work on it effectively here.

In any case, we can't draw here.

No way. You can't draw here. But do you want to take pictures?

I'm gonna take some Polaroids of the necessary things.

For example the kitchen and the interiors.

And then you'll have taken enough pictures for me to use.

And I'm gonna put it all on the table. You understand?

And anything that I can put on the table and look at without disturbance,

I will then draw as precisely as I am used to.

- I don't like doing sketches. - Yes, of course. I understand.

The drawings should be the way I like to do them.

- And you know them. - Yes, right.

As far as I'm concerned, I can't do any of it in Germany. And I don't want to.

Because then I feel like I'll lose the tension.

That goes for almost everything I do, such as the stories I write.

Maybe that's the point. Because when I draw,

I don't need the tension at all.

The one that's here. Do you understand?

If I want to draw accurately, I need a table,

good light

and real concentration.

And here I constantly have to adjust to what the weather is like.

When it rains, you can't draw.

When the palm trees move strongly in the wind, you can't draw either.

Because each time there's a different light.

Oh, well.

If it were that I drew differently, or could,

it would be a different thing. But I can't.

Maybe I'm too old to adjust.

And what is the name for "roof"?

- "Roof"? - Yeah. - "Roof" in Reef-Island?

"Tschevalyeng" means one side.

- One side? - One side of the whole house.

- One side of the whole house? And one side of the roof too? - Yeah.

Take the tape measure. Go to the corner of that house.

Hold it tight.

Come!

- Here it was 5.40 meters. Right? - Yes.

We're actually held together

by the commitment we've made, namely the book.

Right, the book.

If I hadn't made that commitment, I probably would have left by now.

I wouldn't say that. I'd stay here.

I think it's great that I'm here.

And I wouldn't leave either if I had the chance to go back tomorrow.

I wouldn't do it, although I'm not doing so well here.

No, I wouldn't go back either. But I would go somewhere else.

Making the book is a long way off for me.

I just want to live here for now.

- Does it hurt you? - No.

There are flies sitting over there.

When I had the fever,

I also got the feeling that you guys are somehow always afraid

that someone who is feeling bad might run away as a result.

- Really? - Yes.

I've actually had fantasies like that.

I thought if I had the rash for another month,

then... then I'd go away.

Look at this! Laplap (pudding-like dish made of various kinds of yam) is ready!

- Here you go, Anna. Some Laplap? Anna? - Thanks.

It tastes so nice.

Can I have some coconut?

Some Laplap.

Oh!

Oh, that's good.