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Broadcast Notice - Canadian Documentary Series Premiere on OMNI.2 - Speaking in Tongues: The History of Language
Oct 9, 2008
English language Version: Wednesday, October 22nd at 10AM ET
on OMNI.2
Encore (entire series rebroadcast): Monday, November 3rd at 11PM ET
on OMNI.2TORONTO, Oct. 9 /CNW/ - Rogers OMNI is proud to present the Ontario
regional premiere of the English language version of Speaking in Tongues: The
History of Language. The first of five hour long episodes in this
groundbreaking production launches to English speaking viewers as part of
OMNI's Signature Series, Wednesday, October 22nd at 10:00 a.m. on OMNI.2;
subsequent episodes will air weekly thereafter.
Speaking in Tongues: The History of Language also offers a full encore
presentation of all five episodes in the series, starting Monday, November 3rd
at 11:00 p.m. - again on OMNI.2.
A new venture for Syncopated Productions Inc. and characteristically
detailed work from its founder, award-winning filmmaker Christene Browne - the
first Black woman to direct and write a dramatic feature film in Canada -
Speaking in Tongues: The History of Language looks at the development of
language, how it both sets us apart and unites us, and sheds light on why
language has been the key to our survival from prehistoric to present times.
"Worldwide, we currently speak more than 6,000 languages and less than
10 percent of us speak about a quarter of them," says Ms. Browne,
Producer/Director of Speaking in Tongues: The History of Language. "We are who
we are thanks to language and I thank OMNI Television for being who they are;
their frontline understanding of multiple languages and cultures, and not the
least of all their support in making this series possible."
With a list of some 20 world-renowned experts sharing their insights,
including such linguistic heavyweights as Noam Chomsky, John McWhorter, and
Peter Ladefoged, Speaking in Tongues: The History of Language unravels the
story behind our linguistic diversity along a distinct timeline:-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date No. Description
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Oct 22 1 Let There Be Words - The evolution of language, theories
of origin and definition
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Oct 29 2 Constant Change - Factors contributing to the
diversification and spread of language
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Nov 5 3 Mother Tongues - Reviewing the world's languages and
historical backgrounds of some
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Nov 12 4 Civilization to Colonization - The emergence of writing;
the role of empires and colonization
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Nov 19 5 Birth and Death - Endangered languages and their
preservation, current and future trends
-------------------------------------------------------------------------Dr. Hua Lin, Associate Professor of Linguistics at the University of
Victoria, is also consulted in Speaking in Tongues: The History of Language
for her special expertise in the structure of Chinese dialects.
"The profound importance of language to our understanding of one another
underlies this documentary series and meshes with OMNI's ongoing belief that
'language is culture,'" says Madeline Ziniak, National Vice President of
Rogers OMNI. "We particularly appreciate the language accessibility of
Speaking in Tongues: The History of Language and are pleased to launch this
landmark series to a new audience of Canadians."
The expansion of language into written form, its life cycle, and the
countless theories and controversies evoked by language are among the other
topics considered by Speaking in Tongues: The History of Language, using
footage from around the globe; illustrations and animation, poetry and
personal comment. The Chinese version premiered on OMNI earlier this year.
Speaking in Tongues: The History of Language was exclusively funded
through OMNI's Independent Producers Initiative, a $32.5 million independent
production fund that to date has supported over 200 new documentary
programmes. Interested producers can access funding criteria at OMNI's web
site http://www.omnitv.ca/ontario/info/funds.
About Rogers OMNI
Rogers OMNI is a free, over-the-air multilingual/multicultural television
system made up of five regional broadcasters serving nine major markets across
Canada: in BC (Vancouver and Victoria); Alberta (Calgary and Edmonton), and in
Ontario (Ottawa-Gatineau, London, Kitchener-Waterloo, Hamilton and the Greater
Toronto Area) via flagship stations OMNI.1 and OMNI.2. All Rogers OMNI
stations share the collective mandate to reflect Canada's diversity through
the airing of inclusive and accessible programming, and are part of Rogers
Media Inc., a division of Rogers Communications Inc. (TSX: RCI and NYSE: RCI)
which is a diversified Canadian communications and media company. In addition
to specializing in Canadian multilingual/multicultural programming, OMNI
carries well-known American and International series and films - including a
station-wide schedule of Chinese Super Cinema and South Asian Bollywood
Freetime Movies.
About the Producer/Director
Christene Browne has been working as a producer and director for almost
20 years. Her work, including the award-winning Them That's Not; feature film
Another Planet and a number of documentaries, has been screened, broadcast and
distributed all over the world to much acclaim. She is currently working on
her first novel. Ms. Browne is originally from the island of St. Kitts in the
West Indies.