The Book of Paradise Has No Author (2025)

Overview

In this eclectic spin on the concert film, Ross Lipman transforms footage of one of his celebrated live documentary performances into a new video essay that's at once an archaeological dig and a riveting history. Its underlying subject is the origin of civilization - as comprised entirely of media clips. In the summer of 1971 Philippine dictator Ferdinand Marcos announced the discovery of a tribe of primitive cave dwellers who had lived in complete isolation for thousands of years in the rain forest of Mindanao. The Tasaday indigenous group represented a chance to witness firsthand the roots of our culture, and to explore the very essence of humanity. They also-as we learn-offered Marcos and his cronies a unique political opportunity.