An unusual filmic essay that examines Christian missionaries' strategic use of media and the intersection of their activities and global capitalism.

Global Recordings Network, founded in Los Angeles in 1939, has produced audio versions of Bible stories in over 5,500 languages, and aims to record in every language on earth. The network distributes the recordings, along with ultra-low-tech hand-wind players, in isolated regions and among displaced migrant workers. GRN calls the target audience "the tailenders" because they are the last to be reached by worldwide evangelism. Filmed in the Solomon Islands, Mexico, India and the United States, "The Tailenders" is an unusual filmic essay that examines the missionaries' strategic use of media and the intersection of their activities and global capitalism. The film explores how meaning, carried by the simple sound of a human voice, changes as it crosses language and culture. By Adele Horne