Almasty. Yeti du Caucase. Part 1
Realisation
Sylvain Pallix
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_qZ7HDYfwSg
Rough draft translation by Jo Bourne 29 September 2010
Voiceover: Marie-Jeanne Koffman tracks the Almasty, a quest [une obstination] without end for this Franco-Russian doctor, determined to prove the existence of the wild man of the Caucusus. After taking part in a scientific expedition to the Pamir Mountains in search of the Yeti [man of snow], it is in the Kabardino Balkarian Republic that she continues her quest. With scientific rigour and an insatiable curiosity, she gathers more than 500 witness statements, and these [emprints] constitute an enormous dossier.
Marie-Jeanne Koffman: We have indirect proof, in the form of witness statements, because first of all there are very many, they come from a particular region, from all kinds of different people; absolutely different in terms of religion, language, ethnic origin. But nevertheless all these people describe the same thing. [d’ecrire le meme portrait]
Voiceover: It’s therefore from the analysis of these witness statements that the scientific study can begin.
Child: I want to know if the Almasty could be dangerous or aggressive?
M-J K: I have never heard of any aggression with regard to humans, even if humans behave in a manner that presents a danger to the Almasty. Never. None.
MUSEE DE L’HOMME, PARIS
Man: This is the great beast that we would like to consider the ancestor of that which you are looking for. This is the mandible, and we call it the Gigantopithecus. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gigantopithecus
M-J K: I always say to my companions that we should, as a working hypothesis, start from the principal that we are looking for a being part human and who surpasses us in many parameters, even perhaps intelligence [not clear. I can clearly hear what she’s saying, but there’s not a lot of clarity in what she’s saying]
Man: In scientific terms we find one day this being you talk of, whatever its nature, whatever its affiliation, that would be utterly extraordinary.
Voiceover: It is in the Caucusus that we begin the incredible journey on the trail of the Almasty. Mount Elbrus dominates the research field. We are in the Kabardino Balkarian Republic and here the wind blows on the summit of the Caucusus who xxxx? a barrier of 1200km between the Black sea and the Caspian Sea.
Myth, reality… these reflections accompany the first excursion. The Almasty, after the witness statements gathered here by Dr Koffman, is described as a being of between 2-2.2 metres, with black or red fur, without language or fire [not clear here whether the voiceover is saying it has the ability to make fire or not] and living by night to avoid the worst predator – man.
There are many caves in the area and a local shepherd reveals possible traces in the form of bones.
ANDRE KAZLOV, ANTHROPOLOGIST
Kazlov: It’s not a young man. You’ll see his teeth. I think he was strong. His bones indicate strong musculature. [note from Jo: no idea what they’re doing with this dead man’s bones. He’s got nothing to do with the story. Can’t tell when he’s from. Could be recent, in Libya shepherds still use caves for animals and for living. The chap could be Palaeolithic for all we’re able to tell, or early 20th century] This cave is very good for Almasty. Maybe he slept here for a few nights, some nights, or days or years ago.
Voiceover: Even though the bones are human, it is worth installing a detection system in the cave. If you trip the wire, then click clack – the camera or video recorder takes a picture. Whether he came or not, the cameras record images devoid of the snowman. A horseman we encountered said the Almasty had the power to render itself invisible. If he’s right, the picture of the century will be a long time coming.
Sarmakovu???, our base camp, our other [noyed it sounds like; no idea what this means] and one of our first witnesses didn’t believe in the existence of the Almasty until January 1987.
MOUAYED MALSURGENOV
Mouayed: I saw between these planks, something strange [un inconu: lit, a stranger], very large, perhaps two metres 10 centimetres She was covered with black hair Her eyes shone red. She made two huge steps. She walked like this. I thought, perhaps, it was the Almasty.
Voiceover: Micha is an artist, and if the Almasty that he drew following the description of Mouayed doesn’t comform to reality, never mind. To enrich the witness statements it is sometimes xxxxxxx strange encounters [incomprehensible, and I can’t even hazard a guess]
[Micha I think] had also met one of the creatures. At the time he was caretaker of a well outside the town of Tornause?. No one since has wanted to succeed him.
Xxxxx [don’t know who is talking]: When he saw him he was in the cabin looking out of the window. He saw a creature watching him. He wanted to get his pistol but he couldn’t. It was like he was [I would guess hypnotized] by the almasty.
MICHA CHAMAROV
Micha: He looked at me like this with big teeth. He looked at me like this and I was laying down. He had wrinkles like this, and he stared at me. He had a big head.
Voiceover: [something something] people the dreams of Caucasian children [something something]. If you possess the fur of an Almasty, he will become your slave. But be careful, if he puts his hand on the stolen fur, he will take cruel vengance on your family. The young Henri [knows that] the old hold tight to the story. Not everyone believes in the existence of the Almasty, and for the shepherds who in the morning don’t have the right number of sheep, the wild man often gets the blame. [what voiceover man says often has no continuity, but I’m transcribing what I hear]
[Talking Head Shepherds say in 40 years they’ve never seen the Almasty]
The Almasty is described by witnesses as not animal, not man, but like a man. Survivor from an earlier time for some scientists, big ape for others. Inepuisabel pour tout ce qui amuse a vour the snowman appear periodically in the news.
DINA DIDANOV
DINA [love that cape!]: I was sleeping, like this and I saw him. I pulled my cape up and watched what he was doing. He arrived here, he walked slowly, he came into the cabin and he looked here. He unhooked a harness, he looked at all the stitching, and he put it back. There was a big pot here, he took off the lid. He helped himself to bread, he helped himself to meat. Hair fell from his face. He looked at us, he turned, before leaving here. That’s all. When he bent forward, his hair fell over his face, but I saw his eyes through his hair. They shone. They were very shiny. They’ve got eyes like this: like cats. They’re round but the pupil is vertical. The eyes are yellow green.
PART 1 ENDS
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