Summaries

Synopsis

Lines of Tribe, a feature documentary by Ted Unarce, executive producer of Modern Day Slaves, will explore the cultural and social impact of one of the most profound shifts in human history -- the acceleration of interracial marriage that began during the second half of the 20th Century. This film is a timely response to the recent election of Barak Obama to the American presidency, who is perhaps the worlds most famous person of mixed race descent. How are the rise of Obama and other prominent offspring of mixed race parents such as Tiger Woods impacting conceptions of racial identity around the world?Is it true, as Obama asserted in his inaugural address, that the lines of tribe shall soon dissolve? Is the world destined to become less divided by race and ethnicity as those distinctions become blurred though intermixing? How are society and culture changing when each generational cohort is more ethnically and racially mixed than the previous generation? For individuals involved in a relationship or marriage with someone of another race, do they face discrimination or social ostracism? What about children who are born to parents of different racial backgrounds do they face special challenges as they try to fit in with their peers? Are cultural traditions being lost as more people are growing up without a strong ethnic identity? Lines of Tribe will take a long view of the human family tree through interviews with geneticists such as Dr. Spencer Wells, director of the Human Genographic Project. How did races come to exist in the first place? Are racial conceptions grounded in science, or are they mere superficial distinctions based on skin pigmentation and hair color? Are we destined to eventually see the dissolution of racial identity as each generation includes more children of mixed background? How many generations will it take for the world to have a majority of people who have no distinct ethnic or racial identity? Is racial intermarriage the worlds best hope to finally overcome the problems of ethnic strife in places such as the Middle East, Eastern Europe and Africa where these differences continue to be the source of conflict and war?Lines of Tribe will look through both ends of the telescope, at once taking a broad view of human history and a narrow view of the experiences of people living today, in the first decade of the 21st century. Through interviews with people who are involved in mixed race relationships and children of mixed race parents, Lines of Tribe will reveal the human story of people who are experiencing one of the most profound shifts in human history.