The Lost Colony (2008)

Directed by: Astrid Bussink | 70 minutes | documentary

The former Soviet Republic of Abkhazia was once home to one of the world’s leading monkey labs. Thanks to the struggle for independence, which has been raging in the region since the 1990s, this scientific institute has once held groundbreaking research into diseases such as cancer, as well as less attractive experiments such as crossing monkeys with humans. , not much left. The monkeys were taken by the military, by former laboratory director Professor Lapin to his new institute in Sochi Adler (Russia), or they fled into the mountains. However, the mostly older staff left behind holds hope for a better future and desperately clings to vague promises from investors and ideas for a safari park.

Dutch director Astrid Bussink came across the story of the monkey laboratory when she read a newspaper article about the scary experiment of mixing the human race with monkeys. Research taught her that the monkey laboratory is the oldest in the world and when she saw with her own eyes how difficult the country is having with its newly acquired independence (which has yet to be internationally recognized), her interest grew. She decided to make a documentary. That was a nice decision.

Although ‘The Lost Colony’ mainly provides a beautiful and unique atmosphere of a company that is on the brink of death, and thus a moving portrait of the people who remain loyal to the institution, the documentary can at the same time be regarded as a representation of the Abkhaz mentality. : the positive attitude that improvement is on the way, when the conditions are so dire. Surrounded by moody music, the director shows suffering on a micro level, which makes it more impressive. Fortunately, there is also room for humor, so that the whole thing does not become too heavy.

What is a bit lacking in ‘The Lost Colony’ is some background information. The viewer is only informed by the images about the history, current state and future of the laboratory and is therefore dependent on what the interviewees say – sometimes only musingly. An example of this are the unilaterally visualized telephone conversations that the current director of the laboratory has with potential investors. The plans to turn the laboratory into a safari park, in which visitors can ride on bulls (!) to view native animals, obviously require a lot of money. He is trying – in a rather clumsy way – to attract investors who are hesitant because the country is not yet recognized. Who those investors are remains unclear, what exactly is the intention of the safari park. Is it intended as an extra source of income, to get the monkey laboratory back on track? It remains guesswork. The role of the former director in the whole also remains under the surface. During the civil war he fled to Russia and founded a new scientific institute there. He indicated that he did not expect the monkeys who had fled into the wilderness to survive fifteen to seventeen years in the extremely cold winters of Abkhazia. His help is called in for the preparations for the international conference that will conclude the documentary, but apart from the conclusion that the two directors are opposites in terms of leadership qualities, the viewer cannot do much with his performance.

These minor hiccups may make ‘The Lost Colony’ a little less informative than desired, but what’s left is definitely worth it. With her interesting subject, Astrid Bussink proves that she can handle it well and with her attention to atmosphere and emotion, she puts not only the laboratory, but also the country on the map.