Aleksei Vakhrushev’s documentary film, entitled The Book of the Sea (2018), is an ethnographic film belonging to visual anthropology. It depicts the daily survival of the Arctic sea hunters of Chukotka. The narrative structure of The Book of the Sea unfolds in two lines: one is the current life of the Eskimo (Yupik) and Chukchi people, who continue the tradition of sea hunting in the Bering Strait of the Far East of Russia, and the other is ancient myths, especially the story of “the woman who gave birth to a whale” that forms their spiritual foundation. The former is embodied in live action and the latter in animation, completing this film in a hybrid form called “animated documentary.” This article examines how live-action documentary and imaginary animation are arranged in parallel and intersected in The Book of the Sea, removing the boundary between reality and myth, and how the modern time of the sea hunters and the ancient time in the mythology coexist and communicate with each other. In particular, we noted that the narrative unity using the double plot structure of the documentary storyline and the animation storyline, and the claymation and expression techniques that colorfully visualize the abstract realms of the myth and consciousness world, bring the theme of the film to life more effectively. The Book of the Sea satisfies its role as an ethnographic film and its perfection as film art. It shows the organic relationship between the life of modern sea hunters and the ancient Arctic maritime culture through weaving reality and myth. This unique film of visual anthropology is also used for educational purposes to preserve the traditional culture of Chukotka marine hunters.
Ⅰ. 머리말
Ⅱ. ｢바다 책｣의 형식적 특징과 내용 구성
Ⅲ. 맺음말