Recovering Voices

02/21/2026

02/21/2026

Please join us today for a unique celebration of International Mother Language Day at the Mother Tongue Film Festival.

The endangered Mỹky language, spoken by only approximately 100 people in the Mato Grosso state of Brazil, is considered a language isolate, bearing no similarities to other language families. The Indigenous Mỹky community was also isolated, until they were first contacted by outsiders in 1971. The community is now surrounded by non-Indigenous farmland, but they retain their unique language and culture.

Every February 21, we celebrate the UN’s International Mother Language Day, promoting the preservation and protection of all languages. Today, the Mother Tongue Film Festival is pleased to screen “Anfitriões Há Meio Século (Hosts for Half a Century),” our first Mỹky-language film. Moving between archival materials from missionary expeditions and interviews with elders, this film offers a Mỹky perspective on life before the invasion and their fight for demarcation of their ancestral land.

The screening takes place today at 3 p.m. in Lehman Auditorium at George Washington University. Stay afterward for a virtual Q&A with directors Typju Mỹky and André Tupxi Lopes.

The Mother Tongue Film Festival continues through Sunday! View the full schedule at the link in bio.

The festival is organized by Recovering Voices, a collaboration between Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History, the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian, the Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage (), and the Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center.

02/19/2026

02/19/2026

02/18/2026

The Smithsonian Mother Tongue Film Festival returns for its eleventh year!

Mother Tongue Film Festival celebrates cultural and linguistic richness with an inspiring lineup of films and filmmakers from around the globe.

Join us for our Feature Presentation of "Ainu Puri" on Sunday, February 22, at the Meyer Auditorium.

The festival is organized by Recovering Voices , a collaboration between Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian, Smithsonian Folklife, and Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center.

Get the details here: https://s.si.edu/3Oj4Qu9

02/18/2026

02/16/2026

The Smithsonian Mother Tongue Film Festival returns for its eleventh year, celebrating cultural and linguistic richness with an inspiring lineup of films and filmmakers from around the globe. This year’s festival features 25 films in 27 languages representing 14 world regions, with free in-person screenings taking place this Thursday, February 19, through Sunday, February 22, at venues across Washington, D.C. Among the selections is Meklit’s music video for “Tizita,” a beloved Ethiopian folk song reimagined on her new Smithsonian Folkways album ‘A Piece of Infinity.’

Learn more and find the festival schedule here: mothertongue.si.edu/

02/16/2026

In the short film “The River ወንዙ,” director Herrana Addisu explores femininity through choreographed movement, vibrant dress, and traditional Ethiopian music.

Drawing from Addisu's childhood memories of Kebena, a district in central Ethiopia, the film uses the rhythms of daily life and the symbolism of water to examine identity, community, and the resilience of women across generations. Born in Ethiopia, Herrana immigrated to the United States and now works as a multidisciplinary artist in New York City. Her immigration journey continues to shape her career in human rights and her films.

We’re pleased to present “The River ወንዙ” this Friday, February 20, at NYU Washington, DC as part of the 2026 Mother Tongue Film Festival. The film will screen during the “Strength Across Generations” program, along with five other stories from around the world. Stay after the films for a Q&A with Herrana.

The Smithsonian’s Mother Tongue Film Festival brings you a beautiful celebration of voices, stories, and traditions: 27 languages, 25 films, 14 regions, 1 festival. See the full schedule and more: mothertongue.si.edu

The festival is organized by Recovering Voices, a collaboration between Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History, the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian, the Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage, and the Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center.

02/15/2026

02/14/2026

27 languages, 25 films, 14 regions, 1 festival. 🎬

The Mother Tongue Film Festival returns to Washington, DC, next week, February 19–22.

Since 2016, the festival has amplified the work of diverse practitioners who explore the power of language to connect the past, present, and future. As always, all programs are free and open to the public.

See an overview of the schedule and explore film details, trailers, and the venue map: https://mothertongue.si.edu/
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The festival is organized by Recovering Voices, a collaboration between the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History, the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian, the Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center, and the Smithsonian Folklife Center.

📸 Image from the film Akababuru: Expression of Astonishment directed by Irati Dojura.

02/10/2026

Announcing the 2026 Mother Tongue Film Festival Schedule!

27 languages | 25 films | 14 regions | 1 festival

Our annual celebration of language is here! The Mother Tongue Film Festival returns to Washington, DC February 19–22, 2026.

Since 2016, the festival has amplified the work of diverse practitioners who explore the power of language to connect the past, present, and future. This year is no different, with 25 films in 27 languages from 14 regions of the world. As always, all programs are free and open to the public.

See an overview of the schedule below, and explore the website for film details, trailers, and the venue map.
https://mothertongue.si.edu/

11/17/2025

Our 2026 Community Research Program Call for Proposals is now open! Deadline for applications is January 15, 2026. recoveringvoices.si.edu