Can You Hear The Sea? 

The Water Will Carry Us Home by Gabrielle Tesfaye includes a very significant closing scene where an African woman creates a complicated, yet innovative pair of “shellphones” (headphones crossed with seashells) and plugs them directly into the sand. With intricate wiring and artifacts straight from the sea, these “shellphones” being plugged into the sand demonstrates how history has been hidden and it has to be searched for by using new perspectives and technology. In this case listening instead of looking while using a new device forces a concealed part of history to be uncovered. 

In Derek Walcott’s poem The Sea Is History he says history is “in that grey vault. The sea. The sea has locked them up. The sea is History” (line 4). Understanding the historical context of both these texts is crucial, as the film dives into the notion that history is not a singular, objective truth but rather subjective and multifaceted. Both the film and the poem suggest that the ocean serves as an archive, preserving specific histories that may be otherwise overlooked or marginalized. We have convenient access to set views, leaving the other in the vault. Both of these texts compare land based European history to the sunken history of Africans. By juxtaposing these perspectives, they highlight the importance of recognizing different viewpoints and understanding the complexities of historical narratives. With that we are able to recognize the differences in perspective and better understand the final scene in The Water Will Carry Us Home. 

This film demonstrates a heavy time in history, and shows how pregnant women were thrown overboard during the Middle Passage and this led to the birth of Yoruba and the coming of the water spirits. Tesfaye’s film The Water Will Carry Us Home uses multimedia including water color, collage, real articles and photos, animation, music, and live action throughout. By offering multiple creative methods it allows for several demonstrations, offering a new lens and thus a new understanding of the film. Using multimedia enhances communication and makes information more memorable through visuals. This allows us to acknowledge the metaphors that are otherwise difficult to understand. This approach not only makes the information more accessible and engaging but also allows for a deeper understanding of the layered and stratified nature of history. By using collages, it offers a way to grasp the hidden history, the layers, and the complexity of it all. In perceived negative times, the ability to turn these tragedies into something beautiful is a great representation of strength. 

Furthering this idea, The Water Will Carry Us Home alludes to the way that they are able to take such tragedy and create a meaningful story out of it. Instead of leaving these bodies behind with no recognition, comes a sentiment that demonstrates hope and optimism. It suggests that even in the darkest moments of history, there is strength and hope to be found. This encourages the idea of changing perspectives and not dwelling, but embracing. These are such horrible times from history but the spirits turn it into a meaningful part of their culture. With that being said we can bring back the ocean as an archive, and reiterate how the ocean holds an important part of their history. Again, in The Sea Is History by Derek Walcott says “it is locked in them sea-sands out there past the reef’s moiling shelf, where the men-o-war floated down;”. The question is how do we find it? 

This is where the “shellphones” come in as a new device made to discover.  The concept of them in this film symbolizes the importance of innovation in uncovering lost histories. Using new technology in this way helps access marginalized histories. The expected way to find this history would be to look, but in this case she using the “shellphones” to listen. The use of “shellphones” as a new device not only reflects the innovative approach needed to access hidden histories but also emphasizes the importance of listening to these narratives rather than relying solely on visual or written records. Moreover, the comparison between land-based European history and the sunken history of Africans highlights the need to recognize different perspectives and understandings of history. By acknowledging the ocean as an archive of specific histories, both texts emphasize the subjective nature of historical narratives and challenge the notion of a singular, objective truth. Ultimately, the concept of “shellphones” serves as a powerful metaphor for the importance of innovation, perspective shifts, and listening in uncovering marginalized histories. By embracing new technologies and approaches, we can work towards a more inclusive and comprehensive understanding of the past.

Speaking of this new device, the creation of the “shellphones” represents a merging of traditional and contemporary elements. The use of seashells, artifacts straight from the sea, connects to the overarching theme of the ocean as a vault of history. By incorporating these natural elements into a modern device like headphones, the scene suggests a bridging of past and present, tradition and innovation, human and nonhuman. The specific the act of plugging the “shellphones” directly into the sand symbolizes a deeper connection to the hidden histories that are buried beneath the surface. Instead of searching for history through traditional means like written records or visual artifacts, the film suggests that listening to the ocean is key to uncovering concealed truths. 

In conclusion, “The Water Will Carry Us Home” by Gabrielle Tesfaye suggests the exploration of hidden histories and the importance of new perspectives in order to uncover them. The film’s closing scene, featuring the creation of “shellphones” and their connection through the sand, symbolizes the fusion of tradition and modernness, as well as the importance of listening to the tales of the past. Through this, Tesfaye highlights the complexity of history and the need for new approaches to unravel its concealed truths. Ultimately, the concept of “shellphones” serves as a powerful metaphor for the importance of innovation, new perspectives, and active listening while uncovering marginalized histories. By embracing new technologies and approaches, it offers a more inclusive and comprehensive understanding of the past, honoring the diversity and experiences that shape our collective narrative. Through Tesfaye’s visual storytelling, we are reminded of the significance of our connections to history and the power of listening to its untold stories. The film invites the intersection of ideas, highlighting the importance of listening to alternative perspectives and challenging traditional narratives. By merging ocean and land, old and new, and artificial with artifact The Water Will Carry Us Home by Tesfaye invites us to reconsider our understanding of history using new approaches. By using the “shellphones”, combining traditional and contemporary technology the film recognizes the interconnectedness between past and present. Tesfaye challenges the idea of looking for history and rather listening to it. By changing perspectives, we can challenge conventional western ideas of history in an inclusive way that allows for various experiences and views to come forth. She reminds us that history is complex and prompts us to reconsider the way we discover and understand history. Allowing for a more diverse understanding of history comes from a shift in perspective.