Starting from a security check procedure at the entrance to the Tel Aviv airport, By The Throat takes us on the exploration of a more deeply engraved border, albeit an invisible one. A border that defines the sounds we can emit and the words we can pronounce. We carry with us these sonic and anatomical limits, created by our mother-tongue, becoming ourselves a mobile check-point, wherever we are.
This border becomes apparent when our speech is used by others as an identifier, when one is identified by others as being this or that, as belonging to a group or another, as forbidden to enter or allowed to pass.

The practice of using a speech feature as a means of identification of a person’s group belonging is known as “SHIBBOLETH” in reference to a biblical story where 40,000 fighters are slaughtered, after a slight difference in the way they pronounced this word revealed their identity. Shibboleth is ubiquitous and [is] performed frequently, consciously and not, officially and not, with less or more severe consequences.

Touring between territories – sonic, anatomical and political – By The Throat visits a wide range of contemporary manifestations of Shibboleth –  reaching all the way to nowadays use of language tests in asylum procedure in Europe and calls into question oppressive uses of technology which reinforce binary logic and categorisation.

"Through a journey encompassing rigorous research and a multitude of perspectives that together form a unique cinematic language, this important and innovative film offers an original take on a pertinent contemporary issue. Foregrounding our ability to speak and how this can be used against us, the makers of this work manage to create its own distinct voice. In other words, this film grabbed us by the throat."
Jury justification - Artistic Vision Award - Depth of Field Competition, DocAviv Festival

Y’a-t-il frontières plus efficaces que celles invisibles ? Avec By the throat, un remarquable film de montage, et un travail de recherche qui fit l’objet également d’une installation en Irlande du Nord, Effi et Amir se cognent la question des murs imaginaires en prenant pour point de départ un épisode biblique devenu terme linguistique : le Schibboleh. Mot difficilement prononçable qui servit de checkpoint phonique aux Guiléadites pour reconnaître leurs ennemis en fuite, il renvoie aujourd’hui à un trait caractéristique de la parole permettant de distinguer une personne. Les cinéastes bruxellois ont collecté de nombreuses histoires de Schibboleh et mêlent témoignages, archives télévisuelles et images scientifiques pour un voyage tout aussi inquiétant que passionnant au pays des phonèmes.
Pauline David, Programmatrice, directrice du festival En ville ! (Bruxelles)

Original Music | Thomas Myrmel

Voice | Vittoria Soddu

With | Ameer Jbara
     Robin Van Royen
     Mark Phelan
     Max Colonne
     Dorina Ferrici
     Tapa Rietsang
     Tina Cambier-Langeveld
     Maaike Verrips
     Anna Biselli
     Peter Patrick
     Rechela
     Eyal Sivan

Camera | Effi & Amir

Sound recording | Gedeon de Pauw
             Kwinten Van Laethem
             Farhad Katrahmani
             Lancelot Hervé Mignucci
             Joel Cahen
             Ilona Stutz
             Guido Righi
            
Editing | Simon Arazi
             Effi & Amir
Sound editing | Kwinten Van Laethem

Mix | Rémi Gérard

Colour Grading | Miléna Trivier

Research assistance and coordination |

ARP:Brussels – Katrien Reist, Julia Reist

Ian Templeton

Roula Daoud

Diana Malaj

Julie Pfleiderer

Scientific advice and collaboration:

Prof. Bernard Harmegnies - Institut de Recherche en Sciences et Technologies du Langage, Université de Mons,

Professor Jo Verhoeven - City University of London & Antwerp University,

Naomi Miller - Antwerp University

Dr. Peter Knopp - Department of Phonetics, University of Trier

Judith Manzoni-Luxenburger - Department of Phonetics, University of Trier

Prof. Peter L. Patrick - University of Essex,

Dr Kevin Nolan - School of Mechanical & Materials Engineering, University College Dublin

Björn Doumen – Speech therapist

Katrien Eerdekens – Speech and Voice therapist, Logo+ clinic

Alain Lechien - Institut de Recherche en Sciences et Technologies du Langage, Université de Mons,

de Taalstudio, Amsterdam