The plot is based on rapanui legends of easter island, chile, in particular the race for the sooty tern s egg in the birdman cult. The ruling class are demanding larger and larger moai stone statues, a task which the. The mystery of easter island rapa nui 1940s documentary film. Rapa nui is a 1994 film directed by kevin reynolds. The remarkable nature of rapa nui easter island is so much more than its renowned colossal statues, known as moai. The mystery of easter island rapa nui 1940s documentary film 53534 duration. Facts about rapa nui easter island jo anne van tilburg, ph. Sentinels in stone the rise and fall of easter islands culture. Release dates 1 also known as aka 0 release dates usa 14 october 1994. The moai or easter island heads or easter island statues, represent the most important pieces of rapa nui art and they have become its trademark. The rapa nui have historically made feather headdresses, bark cloth, wood carvings, and stone carvings. Rapa nui offers a world of inquiry that have remained unanswered for centuries. Intertribal rivalry leads to a competition to erect a huge statue in record time before a race to retrieve the egg of a sooty tern.
Easter island, or rapa nui, its original name, is the polynesian island found in the south east pacific ocean. Easter islands demise may have surprising new explanation. This made the rapa nui culture and history have not been completely unraveled and made the easter island myths and legends very relevant. The movie, which is sublimely silly, takes place in the south seas in the carefree days. Reward yourself with your dream trip to italy, where you will join chef rodrigo at one of our luxury villas. This adventurefilled epic speculates upon the original inhabitants of easter island who are best known for their mysterious moai, the huge stone heads that dot the island. Memorable quotes and exchanges from movies, tv series and more. Easter islandrapa nui documentary film the atlantic. Discover myths and legends of the moai on rapa nui the easter island. Unfortunately it becomes unrealistic and a little bit too melodramatic towards the end. Although easter island is famous for the large monumental moai statues which adorn easter island, often called the easter island heads, rapa nui is also home to highly sophisticated rock art carvings and paintings with unique motifs. The plot is based on rapanui legends of easter island, chile, in particular the.
Not only does it include the usual film clips, interviews and background that one expects of a making of but. However, in spite of their abundance, there are around 600 moai distributed throughout the whole island and 397 are in the rano raraku quarry, there are still plenty of unanswered questions regarding. A wonderful film called simply rapa nui, by kevin costner, describes this competition, in which the winner was the first warrior to retrieve an egg deposited by the sooty tern sea bird off a tiny rock pinnacle, motu nui, in the sharkinfested ocean, and then swim back and climb the cliff face with the egg intact. The moai or easter island heads or easter island statues, represent the most important. It was filmed in 1994, directed by kevin reynolds, produced by kevin costner, and starred by jason scott lee, esai morales and sandrine holt. Myths and legends of the moai on rapa nuithe easter island. Rapanui is a 1994 film directed by kevin reynolds and coproduced by kevin costner, who starred in reynoldss previous film, robin hood. Rapa nui is a timeless story and one which reminds us that, in any time and place, we are all the same and subject to the same selfcreated perils. The easternmost polynesian culture, the descendants of the original people of easter island make up about 60% of the current easter island population and have a significant portion of their population residing in mainland chile. The plot is based on rapanui legends of easter island, chile, in particular the race for the sooty terns egg in the birdman cult the historic details of this film are questionable, but the central themethe destruction of the. Mythology and traditions of rapa nui under the influence. The secrets of easter island history smithsonian magazine. Between roughly 1100 and 1650, rapa nui carvers created some 900 of these sculptures, nearly all of which are still in situ.
These pages record the recent roundtheworld trip i made in march 2011 with my wife, wendy. All proceeds will go to help support the struggle of the rapanui indigenous people to regain their ancestral homelands on easter island. It is in the southern hemisphere at 27 9 s latitude, 109 26 w longitude. Rapa nuithe legends of easter island by jason scott lee dvd. With jason scott lee, esai morales, sandrine holt, eru potaka dewes. At hotel manavai in central hanga roa they show the hollywood movie rapa nui from 1994. Easter island in crisis with rapa nui film, music, art auction and discussion to support an indigenous people in crisis. The plot is based on rapanui legends of easter island, chile, in particular the race for the sooty terns egg in the birdman cult. Florence, the capital of tuscany is home to some of the worlds most recognizable renaissance art and architecture. Lying isolated in the east pacific, in an extreme windward position, rapa nui is the easternmost polynesian island. As you may know, easter island is an isolated and quite desolate little chunk of igneous rock sitting approximately in the middle of the open pacific ocean, about halfway between chile and tahiti. Rapa nui is the only movie that has ever been filmed about the civilization that once populated easter island. The moai or easter island heads or easter island statues, represent the most. Heu is one of the 800 remaining speakers of his native tongue.
The land takes up just over 63 square miles in the south pacific ocean, some 2,300 miles west. The only problem is that, since the movie tanked in the us, the only dvds available are made in korea and the quality of the film makes it look almost like 1970s footage. Questions abound surrounding the origins of the people and their culture, the moai statues, the tangata manu birdman cult and the history of the islands racial extermination, ecological and natural disasters. Adzes, blunt round stones, were used to complete stone images and wood carvings. The film takes a look at the barren landscape of rapa nui and its iconic. A grammar of rapa nui vu research portal vrije universiteit.
Ironically, while the film was trying to send an ecological message, it was, on the. Lucille balls greatgranddaughter looks exactly like the legend. Rapa nui slips through the national geographic loophole. King tangaroa from hiva that reached rapa nui in the shape of a seal. The arrival and extermination of the second immigration to rapa nui.
Oct 31, 2011 the story of the ecocide and collapse of the civilization on easter island, or rapa nui in the native language, became very popular with the film rapa nui 1994 and the book by american. A rapa nui rock garden, or agricultural field, with poike volcano in the background. Legends in stone tv series 1994 cast and crew credits, including actors, actresses, directors, writers and more. Love between the representatives of two warring tribes changes the balance of power on the whole remote island. Easter island moai statues and rock art of rapa nui. Tenuously based on the legends of easter island, chile, this story details a civil war between. Regardless of all that, it is an amazing movie, especially since the majority of the actors are amateurs and citizen of rapa nui. My name is andrew selkirk, and i am the editorinchief of the magazines current archaeology and current world archaeology. With kevin costner, jason scott lee, esai morales, sandrine holt. They speak both the traditional rapa nui language and the primary language. Rapa nui is a member of the austronesian language family. Easter island is famous for its humongous stone statues, called moai.
For the record, in assessing rapa nui s treatment of archeological anthropology, the two words that. Jul 10, 2018 the modern world has come for our little island, says heu rapu haoa in max lowes short documentary, amo. The movie in question is rapa nui, coproduced by kevin costner and barrie. The only problem is that, since the movie tanked in the us, the only dvds.
After the release of the movie, mass tourism industry began to roll on the island. The rapa nui are the aboriginal polynesian inhabitants of easter island in the pacific ocean. The movie describes the decline of the rapa nui easter island civilization and for most of it, it sticks to the historic facts. Rapa nui synonyms, rapa nui pronunciation, rapa nui translation, english dictionary definition of rapa nui.
Rapa nui is a 1994 film directed by kevin reynolds and coproduced by kevin costner, who starred in reynoldss previous film, robin hood. A team of scientists and volunteers test a theory on how the ancient stone statues were moved, using a 15ton replica. The moai stone faces appear locked in silence, sentinels in stone that convey both power and tragedy. Situated in the south eastern pacific ocean around 4,000 kilometres from chile, south america its nearest inhabited neighbour is pitcairn island 2,075 to the west. This is the hollywood convention which teaches us that brown breasts are not as sinful as white ones, and so while it may be evil to gaze upon a blond playboy centerfold and feel lust in our hearts, it is educational to watch polynesian maidens frolicking topless in the surf. The most recognizable art forms from easter island are its colossal stone figures, or moai, images of ancestral chiefs whose supernatural power protected the community. Aug, 2017 the film takes a look at the barren landscape of rapa nui and its iconic statues.
The ruling class are demanding larger and larger moai stone statues, a task which. The giant moai stone statues of easter island, called moai, have brought the island of rapa nui reknown and fascinated scholars, travellers and artists. The film takes a look at the barren landscape of rapa nui and its iconic statues. May 27, 2015 mythology and traditions of rapa nui rapa nui is better known as easter island and is one of the most isolated populated places in the world. Tenuously based on the legends of easter island, chile, this story details a civil. A distinguishing characteristic of rapa nui statues is the use of shell or coral inlaid with obsidian to represent eyes. It is spoken on the island of rapa nui, also known as easter island. Moai statues, easter island from genocide to ecocide, the rape of rapa nui benny peiser, liverpool john moores university, faculty of science. The thrilling saga of two easter islanders whose rivalry over a woman lead to a competition that will decide leadership of their people. Rapa nui is a film which offers a possible explanation to the mysteries of easter island. The decline and fall of easter island and its alleged selfdestruction has become the poster child of a new environmentalist historiography, a school of thought that goes hand in hand with predictions of environmental disaster. This article explores the spatial, architectural and conceptual relationships between landscape places, stone quarrying, and stone moving and building during rapa nuis statuebuilding period. Also known as aka it looks like we dont have any akas for this title yet. Apr 19, 2015 the mystery of easter island rapa nui 1940s documentary film 53534 duration.