By the Throat
Conflict zones, frontiers and asylum centers; these are the places where pronunciation can make the difference between life and death.
Our accent and dialect are inextricably linked to our identity. Anyone endeavoring to learn the correct pronunciation of words in a foreign language knows it to be true. In armed conflicts, refugee centers and at checkpoints, the sounds we make can sometimes determine life or death. In this context, Wittgenstein's words about the boundaries of language being the boundaries of the world sound like a judgment. In Iraq, Israel, Northern Ireland or even Germany, linguistic tests, though still imperfect, are used to verify the origin of asylum seekers. A film about our anatomical and sonic limitations and how language has become a tool of control.
Marta Lityńska