The Klingon Language and those who speak it...

This sounds awesome...

But I'm a geek, so that works out that way. And recently, on the recommendations of JM and Spence I'm watching the Star Trek Deep Space 9, having never really seen it. I mean, when you've got Spenser for Hire's Hawk as a Starfleet captain, you can't really go wrong.

But I digress.

Fortean Times: Interviewing Earthlings

David Sutton talks to director Alexandre Philippe and producer David Marchiori about their new documentary focusing on the evolution of the Klingon language and the people who speak it, Earthlings: Ugly Bags of Mostly Water.

FT: Can you describe the genesis of the film and how you came across the Klingon language.

AP: ...I was at Denver International Airport on my way to Europe to visit my family, and had a little time to kill, so I went to one of their bookstores; and that’s where I found a copy of The Klingon Hamlet. I remember looking at this book, and thinking: “This is the strangest thing I’ve ever seen.” And I made the decision, basically on the spot, to somehow make a movie about this.

Originally, I thought it would be wild to do a film version of The Klingon Hamlet; but then, I searched the web and discovered the Klingon Language Institute, located in Philadelphia. So, I picked up the phone, and talked to the Institute’s director, Dr Lawrence Schoen, and convinced him to let us film and interview them during their annual qep’a’ (or conference).

...The real question is: am I wasting my talents making films? Are you wasting your talents editing Fortean Times? Are sports fans wasting their talents watching football on TV? I don’t think so. Earth is a strange place, and it’s up to us to give meaning to our lives. If it’s meaningful to them to learn Klingon – because they have a good time, because it’s a great intellectual exercise, or because that’s how they want to make friends – who are we to say they’re wasting their time? I’d like people to be a little more introspective before they poke fun at Trekkies or Klingon speakers. To me, there’s nothing wrong with doing something you’re passionate about – especially if it doesn’t hurt of offend anyone.

And the Klingon language is, indeed, a fascinating cultural and linguistic phenomenon. It’s the first constructed language based on popular culture that has thrived to the point of being spoken in 55 countries around the world.

So, to me, the question isn’t “Why spend any time learning Klingon when there are so many other languages around” but “why not learn Klingon?”

FT: The interviewees in the movie are a pretty friendly and articulate bunch from a surprisingly wide range of backgrounds. Were they representative of Klingon speakers as a whole?

DM: Everyone we met during the filming process, and all the Klingons we have met since, are virtually the same – gentle, intelligent people. Many of them are genuine Trek fans and this is their way of exploiting their love of the franchise. Many are linguists and language experts; in some cases Klingon is the sixth or seventh language they speak. And many of them are in it for the social aspects. I will say that while KLI members for the most part don’t indulge in dressing the Klingon way, they do take on a different persona when in Klingon mode. The large groups of people who like to dress as Klingons really take on different personalities while in the role. They act boisterous and aggressive... but when they change back, all is normal.

Earthlings: Ugly Bags of Mostly Water will be available on DVD from 16 October.