There's a great definition of art in this video, spoken by a Tahltan-Tlingit wood carver named Dempsey Bob. While working on a particularly interesting sculpture, he states that "You have to know when to stop and say ‘it's finished' and then let it go." Dempsey Bob has let quite a few pieces go during his lifetime, and this video explores the importance of his art in keeping the culture of these residents of Canada's Pacific Northwest Coast alive. Around the turn of the century, disease had seriously decreased the numbers of Tahltan-Tlingits and there was a real danger of the culture disappearing entirely. Viewers will see how carvers like Dempsey Bob, along with other artists, fought tirelessly to keep alive the spirit of who and what the Tahltan-Tlingits are. Of special interest and a source of great beauty in the video is how the Native Americans interact with their physical surroundings and utilize the bounty of the Pacific Ocean to their benefit. This is a valuable anthropological record about a people known mostly to the rest of the world through their exquisite totem poles and it will be of value to teachers of social anthropology as well as general collections. Recommended. Aud: H, C, P. (J. Carlson)
The Smart One
(1995) 25 min. $29.95. Paragon Media. PPR. Color cover. Vol. 11, Issue 3
The Smart One
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As of March 2022, Video Librarian has changed from a four-star rating system to a five-star one. This change allows our reviewers to have a wider range of critical viewpoints, as well as to synchronize with Google’s rating structure. This change affects all reviews from March 2022 onwards. All reviews from before this period will still retain their original rating. Future film submissions will be considered our new 1-5 star criteria.
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