Last week, United States-based movie reviewer Phil Hall of Filmthreat.com said this 90-minute film shows the Marshall Islands has arrived as a center of memorable film production.
“ ‘Yokwe Bartowe’ (is) a no-budget, high-imagination fantasy that can sincerely lay claim to being among the most original cinematic endeavors to emerge in quite some time,” Hall said.
“Avatar” concluded its two-week run in Majuro with 319 people viewing it, while 824 people paid to see Bartowe over the same period, said K&K Cinema manager Charles Stinnett.
]“Avatar” has set the world’s record as the highest grossing movie, with more than $2 billion in gross revenue worldwide.
While “Avatar” producers spent $300,000,000 to make their film, Bartowe producers Jack Niedenthal and Suzanne Chutaro said the cost of their film was $1,128.05.
“Yokwe Bartowe,” which translates loosely as “Poor Bartowe,” is the second locally produced film by Niedenthal and Chutaro. The film explores a combination of themes black magic, adolescent culture, alcohol and family problems, religion as salvation, and provides a supply of slapstick humor that float through the difficult love story of the lead characters, Bartowe (played by Lyel Tarkwon) and Kaila (Martha Horiuchi).
The film depicts island life and the social issues people encounter, said College of the Marshall Islands executive vice president Ellia Zebedy,after seeing the film. “Marshallese can relate to it, and for foreigners, it gives them an idea of the island life style and social issues.”
It was great entertainment with a message, said U.S. Ambassador Martha Campbell. “Seeing people taking different approaches to their problems, not always the best choices, can inspire viewers to consider how best to confront their own challenges. The familiar Majuro sights and sounds draw the viewer into the story and add to the entertainment.”
Dartmouth University Professor Andrew Garrod, who is currently directing the Shakespeare play “Hamlet” with students at Marshall Islands High School in Majuro, said, “Niedenthal makes a compassionate and witty commentary on life in the Marshall Islands. Sociologists, anthropologists and anyone interested in capturing on film the world in remote areas will be interested (in this film).”
Film reviewer Hall said by U.S. standards, “Yokwe Bartowe” is not the most sophisticated endeavors. Directors Jack
Niedenthal and Suzanne Chutaro make no effort to hide the bare bones production values, and he called one scene more than a bit cheesy.
Yet if “Yokwe Bartowe” fails to score points for polish, “it slam dunks with spirit and personality,” Hall said.
“Niedenthal and Chutaro guide their nonprofessional cast through a screenplay that is fairly complex with issues relating to spiritualism, guilt, miscreancy, angst and emotional isolation.
“If the film is missing the razzmatazz of the computer generated image heavy productions from Hollywood, it more than compensates with the raw, visceral power one associates from folk art it throbs with a genuine sense of emotion and honesty, demanding that its voice be heard and respected.”
