Tanna

Yesterday, Louis Proyect posted a brief review of Tanna, Australia's nominee this year for the Best Foreign-Language Film Oscar. It was released that same day on video. One of the great things Proyect does is highlight not only indigenous cultures, but indigenous Pacific cultures. Very few American bloggers do. And it says something that The Salesman, which won, got all the hype, and I never heard of Tanna until Oscars night, when the Foreign-Language award was given. I asked Proyect if Tanna should have won. He replied that it should have been considered but his personal choice was Neruda the Chilean biography of the poet. (Neruda was submitted to the Academy for consideration but not chosen.)

RottenTomatoes page for Tanna
(Reviews counted: 24)

RottenTomatoes page for The Salesman, a.k.a. Forushande
(Reviews counted: 114)

Wikipedia's article on Tanna.

Wikipedia: List of submissions to the 89th Academy Awards for Best Foreign Language Film.

Various Tweets and a Link

16 Historical sites DESTROYED by Saudi airstrikes on #Yemen over 21 months of (west backed) war ending 1000s years country history forever. pic.twitter.com/dArstM1W6i

— Yemen Post Newspaper (@YemenPostNews) December 29, 2016

To be read in conjunction with the Vanity Fair restaurant review.

I'm hearing great things about this novel @RamonGlazov translated. Damnit where's my review copy https://t.co/4I7Kcdfva6

— Mark Ames (@MarkAmesExiled) December 30, 2016

Some early concept sketches of Yogi Bear drawn by legendary Hanna-Barbera artist Ed Benedict. pic.twitter.com/O7wokMIArI

— Travis Bickerstaff (@Bickpixx) December 30, 2016

she was rad as hell https://t.co/DlG0aBC2GN

— SungWon Cho (ProZD) (@prozdkp) December 27, 2016

Senator says listeners not consulted before ABC decision to cut shortwave https://t.co/k1dGFQuLpf via @abcnews #PNG #Vanuatu #Fiji #CookIs

— Jemima Garrett (@jemimagar) December 29, 2016

RENWICK, Iowa - The once-bustling town of Renwick, Iowa, has lost many businesses as its population declined. But https://t.co/TyUfSz7nC0

— rasi (@twisira) December 29, 2016

On Indigenous Control of Pacific Media

Here.

I've found the blog of the Pacific Island News Association and begun subscribing to its feed. Press coverage of the Pacific region is very sparse. Sometimes the Pacific region (i.e., the islands of Polynesia, Melanesia, and Micronesia) is lumped in with Asia and Australia, but those two areas receive far more attention.