''Ikland'' is a 2011
documentary film about a journey through the mountains of northeastern
Uganda
}), is a landlocked country in East Africa
East Africa, Eastern Africa, or East of Africa, is the eastern subregion of the African continent. In the United Nations Statistics Division scheme of geographic regions, 10-11-(16*) territor ...
, along the Kenyan border, toward an encounter with the
Ik.
''Ikland'' was produced by
Cevin Soling
Cevin Soling is an American writer, filmmaker, philosopher, musician, music producer, and artist.
Soling writes articles and books in addition to producing documentaries, animations, short films, and feature films that engage in social critique ...
, and directed by Soling and
Hilbert David.
The Ik were described in anthropologist
Colin Turnbull
Colin Macmillan Turnbull (November 23, 1924 – July 28, 1994) was a British-American anthropologist who came to public attention with the popular books '' The Forest People'' (on the Mbuti Pygmies of Zaire) and '' The Mountain People'' (on the ...
's 1972 work ''The Mountain People'' as callous and indifferent. ''Ikland'' follows the documentary makers as they meet with the Ik, and revisits Turnbull's description in the context of local circumstances.
Background
![IkPeople 2005](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/35/IkPeople_2005.png)
Anthropologist
Colin Turnbull
Colin Macmillan Turnbull (November 23, 1924 – July 28, 1994) was a British-American anthropologist who came to public attention with the popular books '' The Forest People'' (on the Mbuti Pygmies of Zaire) and '' The Mountain People'' (on the ...
studied the Ik during the mid-1960s, while the region was suffering an oppressive drought. His research informed the controversial book ''
The Mountain People'', which he published in 1972.
Turnbull described the Ik as a culture which had grown depraved as a consequence of prolonged hardship and destitution. They abandoned their children, stole food from elders, and threw human feces at each other for fun. Turnbull concluded that the Ik would eventually die out, and urged the Ugandan government to forcibly disperse survivors, and dilute their identity within disparate reaches of the country.
[Turnbull, Colin. "The Mountain People" Jonathan Cape Ltd, London, 1972, pp. 287-295.]
Plot
Episodes of violence had made travel to the region both hazardous and difficult in the years following Turnbull's departure. On their way north from Kampala, Soling's crew encountered both friendly tribesman and armed militia, eventually reaching the Ik after many experiences.
Soling convinced Ik residents of a particularly remote village to perform a theatrical adaptation of
Charles Dickens
Charles John Huffam Dickens (; 7 February 1812 – 9 June 1870) was an English writer and social critic. He created some of the world's best-known fictional characters and is regarded by many as the greatest novelist of the Victorian e ...
' ''
A Christmas Carol
''A Christmas Carol. In Prose. Being a Ghost Story of Christmas'', commonly known as ''A Christmas Carol'', is a novella by Charles Dickens, first published in London by Chapman & Hall in 1843 and illustrated by John Leech. ''A Christmas C ...
'', as a metaphor for the redemption of their international reputations.
Production
Pre-production
Cevin Soling was first introduced to the Ik during the seventh grade, when his teacher assigned his class to read a
Lewis Thomas
Lewis Thomas (November 25, 1913 – December 3, 1993) was an American physician, poet, etymologist, essayist, administrator, educator, policy advisor, and researcher.
Thomas was born in Flushing, New York and attended Princeton University ...
essay entitled "The Iks." The class responded with amusement, instead of the horror their teacher anticipated. Students found the stories of Ik
barbarism
Barbarism, barbarity, or barbarous may refer to:
* Barbarism (linguistics), a non-standard word, expression, or pronunciation
** Hybrid words, formerly called "barbarisms"
* Any society construed as barbarian
** Barbarian invasions, a period of m ...
absurd and comical. Soling never forgot the assignment, and saved the photocopied essay into adulthood.
Soling announced that he wanted to film in Uganda during the summer of 2004.
Fanny Walker
Fanny may refer to:
Given name
* Fanny (name), a feminine given name or a nickname, often for Frances
In slang
* A term for the vulva, in Britain and many other parts of the English-speaking world
* A term for the buttocks, in the United States
...
joined the crew as a drama instructor. Production manager
Nichole Smaglick approached a ''
National Geographic
''National Geographic'' (formerly the ''National Geographic Magazine'', sometimes branded as NAT GEO) is a popular American monthly magazine published by National Geographic Partners. Known for its photojournalism, it is one of the most widely ...
'' production in southern Uganda,
but could only recruit
cinematographer
The cinematographer or director of photography (sometimes shortened to DP or DOP) is the person responsible for the photographing or recording of a film, television production, music video or other live action piece. The cinematographer is the ch ...
David Pluth,
because no one else would risk travel in the north.
Filming
![Ik Village](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c6/Ik_Village.jpg)
Pluth sustained injuries from an
elephant attack in late 2004, which delayed production for several months. Soling flew with Walker from
New York
New York most commonly refers to:
* New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York
* New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States
New York may also refer to:
Film and television
* '' ...
to
Entebbe
Entebbe is a city in Central Uganda. Located on a Lake Victoria peninsula, approximately southwest of the Ugandan capital city, Kampala. Entebbe was once the seat of government for the Protectorate of Uganda prior to independence, in 1962. The c ...
in February 2005. There they met Pluth, Smaglick, and assistant director
Lawrence Owongo. While traveling north, the team was arrested by the
Uganda People's Defence Force
The Uganda People's Defence Force (UPDF), previously known as the National Resistance Army, is the armed forces of Uganda. From 2007 to 2011, the International Institute for Strategic Studies estimated the UPDF had a total strength of 40,000–4 ...
, who released them only after destroying much of their footage.
The Ik were terrified that the crew might be agents of the
Lord's Resistance Army
The Lord's Resistance Army (LRA), also known as the Lord's Resistance Movement, is a rebel group and heterodox Christian group which operates in northern Uganda, South Sudan, the Central African Republic, and the Democratic Republic of the Co ...
, and stayed away until they felt sure of their safety. According to Soling, the tribe was unaware of ''The Mountain People'' text, but did know of a man called Turnbull who had spread "malicious lies" about them. It took time for the villagers to grow comfortable with the crew, but interviews thereafter were loose and conversational.
Post-production
Soling approached Hilbert David during the spring of 2009, entrusting him with some 67 hours of original footage. An additional 3 hours shot by Turnbull during the 1960s was provided by the
Smithsonian Institution
The Smithsonian Institution ( ), or simply the Smithsonian, is a group of museums and education and research centers, the largest such complex in the world, created by the U.S. government "for the increase and diffusion of knowledge". Founded ...
. Hilbert was given complete artistic freedom during post-production, while he assembled the film without a script.
Hilbert presented much of the film as a collage of matted images,
creating what one reviewer called a "postcard" effect.
Original music was composed and performed by
Sacha Lucashenko. Sound was edited and mixed by
Martin Trum, and opening credits were designed by
Neil Stuber.
Reception
The documentary was the winner of the "Indie Spec Best Content in a Documentary" award at the 2011
Boston International Film Festival
The Boston International Film Festival is a film festival in the United States held in Boston, Massachusetts which showcases over 90 films annually.
Established in 2003 by film producer Patrick Jerome, the festival features independent films from ...
,
and was positively reviewed by ''
The New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
'',
''
Variety
Variety may refer to:
Arts and entertainment Entertainment formats
* Variety (radio)
* Variety show, in theater and television
Films
* ''Variety'' (1925 film), a German silent film directed by Ewald Andre Dupont
* ''Variety'' (1935 film), ...
'',
and ''
Lonely Planet
Lonely Planet is a travel guide book publisher. Founded in Australia in 1973, the company has printed over 150 million books.
History Early years
Lonely Planet was founded by married couple Maureen and Tony Wheeler. In 1972, they embarked ...
''.
''Ikland'' was named among the best films of 2012 by critics ''
Kam Williams
Kaam (Gurmukhi: ਕਾਮ ''Kāma'') in common usage, the term stands for 'excessive passion for sexual pleasure' and it is in this sense that it is considered to be an evil in Sikhism.
In Sikhism it is believed that Kaam can be overcome ...
''
and ''
Louis Proyect''
References
External links
*
* {{IMDb title, 1748055, Ikland
2011 films
American documentary films
2011 documentary films
Documentary films about Uganda
Anthropology documentary films
2010s American films