On November 14, Nickolay Miklouho-Maclay, the founder and Director of the Miklouho-Maclay Foundation, presented his 90-minute director’s cut of the documentary “The Man from the Moon” at the Saint-Petersburg International Cultural Forum.
Public response to the first exhibition on Russian culture held in Papua New Guinea
30.10.2019
On November 16, 2019, a Memorandum of Understanding between the Russian Cultural Foundation and the Miklouho-Maclay Foundation was signed.
18.11.2019The 90-minute documentary “The Man from the Moon” premiered.
It should be noted that the announcement of the premiere caused a real fuss – the tickets on the official website of the Cultural Forum were sold out two weeks before the event. The premiere of the documentary film dedicated to the Great humanist, scientist, fearless traveler, “man from the moon”, as the natives called him, — Nikolay Miklouho-Maclay, were attended by more than 80 people, which is more than the seating capacity of the hall!
The visitors were lucky enough to watch the motion picture, work on which began in 2017. It was then that the first in the contemporary history of Russia research expedition “Miklouho-Maclay XXI century. Maclay Coast” took place, which encouraged for creation of the documentary “The Man from the Moon” and for further activities of the Miklouho-Maclay Foundation in Russia and Papua New Guinea.
Among the guests of honor at the premiere there were representatives of the National Library of Russia, partners of the Miklouho-Maclay Foundation, who provided comprehensive support in the creation of the film, those who were directly involved in the filming, as well as descendants of Russian travelers – Kruzenshtern, Semyonov-Tyan-Shansky. According to Alexandr Semyonov-Tyan-Shansky an hour and a half of the documentary passed in one breath.
The Director of the film Nickolay Miklouho-Maclay noted that with the help of the film “The Man from the Moon” he debunked the myths about his ancestor, the Great scientist of XIX century, and also demonstrated the amazing discoveries of Miklouho-Maclay in New Guinea, his life in Russia and Australia, the legacy he left as an ethnographer and anthropologist.
“This is the first absolutely true story, which was checked by both relatives of Nikolay Nikolaevich and scientists studying this region – Oceania,” said the descendant of Miklouho-Maclay.
At first glance, it may seem that retelling of common facts may not be interesting for the ordinary viewer. But we should not forget that the diaries of Nikolay Nikolaevich, the book “Journeys to the Maclay Coast”, which are still the basis for world scientists dealing with the New Guinea Island, never related to scientific literature. So, this true stories of travel in Oceania, on the New Guinea Island, fascinate more than fiction.
The motion picture “The Man from the Moon” is an example of how reliable historical facts arise interest in those moments that seem to require artistic processing.
The 90-minute director’s cut demonstrates the continuity of generations of XIX-XX-XXI centuries in the study of the New Guinea Island by Russian travelers and scientists, which led to the development of relations between the two countries in various areas. In the film you can see the attitude of the New Guineans to Russia in a hundred and fifty years, and make a discovery for yourself – who are the Papuans today? You can hear the opinions of Australian scientists and public figures about the Miklouho-Maclay’s contribution to science, because he became one of the founders on the Australian continent, laying the foundation of knowledge that he acquired in Russia and expeditions. The scenes of “The Man from the Moon” shows the life of the Maclay Coast villagers, which has not changed in a century and a half, as well as what is known in Russia today about the era of Great and dangerous journeys of XIX century.
“The Man from the Moon” 90-minute director’s cut be presented in cinemas of the country in 2020.
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