Anthropology Movies
Anthropology Movies
Human cultures are many and fascinating. What traveler could possibly witness all that is to be observed in billions of lives? The number of countries and societies is staggering, the language barriers and political borders daunting; and social practices are evolving constantly in our world of rapid globalization. The earth won't hold still.
Although there is no substitute for first-hand experience, few of us have the expertise to translate a foreign history and civilization--let alone the luxury to visit every country and people. Much can be learned without travel by studying books and articles; but to see the ceremonies, the clothing, the gatherings, the daily practices of another society in motion, to listen to the songs and hear the perspectives of individuals who are allowed to speak for themselves--this is a much more direct form of contact than reading an expert's authoritative opinion.
One of the most important contributions of the motion-picture camera to the world is that it permits this direct immediate contact between separated societies. No matter how vivid the descriptions, no matter how accurate the scholarship, writing cannot give us the sensations of shared experience the way movie footage can. Editorial choices do introduce a subjective element, but the scenes themselves always give us a portion of the truth. Compared to writing, which is always mediated by the prejudices of the author--whether clinical, romantic, or imperial--documentary films, on the whole, allow the people to act for themselves. The camera, unlike the pen, is not an autocrat.
For those of us who love to understand or participate in the experiences of neighboring cultures, documentary films can be the purest means to do so. Artistic works--novels, fictional movies, poetry, painting--are vital as well, but the expressions are sometimes too intensely individual to be generalized. News clips, meanwhile, barely skim the surface and never appear without an agenda. At best they supply or sensational or arbitrary events without a context. We want to be in touch with what is happening. So anthropology movies--films that preserve and communicate the actual experiences of other cultures--are irreplaceable.
These anthropology movies differ in their objectives and techniques. They were made--and continue to be made--under widely various circumstances and through the efforts of disparate individuals. Whatever your taste, the addition of a grain of salt is probably advisable because movies require funding, and money never strays too far from politics. That said, wherever the cameras point is some part of life; and life cannot be wholly bribed to act a part.
Anthropology movies are not confined to studying the "Third World." After all, anthropology is the study of humankind; and we in the developed world have no shortage of rituals, superstitions, class emblems, taboos, fetishes, and stylized costumes. Also note that anthropology movies, which are seldom blockbusters, go in and out of print frequently. Many crucial and illuminating documentaries will not have been reissued on DVD. Don't let the "Rewind" button deter you from watching them. VHS tapes are nearly free these days, and they are still tickets to the other side of the world!
Don't let the opportunity to be an explorer--even if it is on screen--slip you by! Travel to another place where there is another set of rules and another heritage of achievements. Or re-examine the rules and values of the here-and-now when seen through the lens of an outside perspective. You do not need to be a student of anthropology, in any technical sense, to enjoy and learn from what you see.
A long list of fascinating movies is at your fingertips. AnthropologyFilms.com is for all of us ... because it is about all of us. Take part in the world!
Although there is no substitute for first-hand experience, few of us have the expertise to translate a foreign history and civilization--let alone the luxury to visit every country and people. Much can be learned without travel by studying books and articles; but to see the ceremonies, the clothing, the gatherings, the daily practices of another society in motion, to listen to the songs and hear the perspectives of individuals who are allowed to speak for themselves--this is a much more direct form of contact than reading an expert's authoritative opinion.
One of the most important contributions of the motion-picture camera to the world is that it permits this direct immediate contact between separated societies. No matter how vivid the descriptions, no matter how accurate the scholarship, writing cannot give us the sensations of shared experience the way movie footage can. Editorial choices do introduce a subjective element, but the scenes themselves always give us a portion of the truth. Compared to writing, which is always mediated by the prejudices of the author--whether clinical, romantic, or imperial--documentary films, on the whole, allow the people to act for themselves. The camera, unlike the pen, is not an autocrat.
For those of us who love to understand or participate in the experiences of neighboring cultures, documentary films can be the purest means to do so. Artistic works--novels, fictional movies, poetry, painting--are vital as well, but the expressions are sometimes too intensely individual to be generalized. News clips, meanwhile, barely skim the surface and never appear without an agenda. At best they supply or sensational or arbitrary events without a context. We want to be in touch with what is happening. So anthropology movies--films that preserve and communicate the actual experiences of other cultures--are irreplaceable.
These anthropology movies differ in their objectives and techniques. They were made--and continue to be made--under widely various circumstances and through the efforts of disparate individuals. Whatever your taste, the addition of a grain of salt is probably advisable because movies require funding, and money never strays too far from politics. That said, wherever the cameras point is some part of life; and life cannot be wholly bribed to act a part.
Anthropology movies are not confined to studying the "Third World." After all, anthropology is the study of humankind; and we in the developed world have no shortage of rituals, superstitions, class emblems, taboos, fetishes, and stylized costumes. Also note that anthropology movies, which are seldom blockbusters, go in and out of print frequently. Many crucial and illuminating documentaries will not have been reissued on DVD. Don't let the "Rewind" button deter you from watching them. VHS tapes are nearly free these days, and they are still tickets to the other side of the world!
Don't let the opportunity to be an explorer--even if it is on screen--slip you by! Travel to another place where there is another set of rules and another heritage of achievements. Or re-examine the rules and values of the here-and-now when seen through the lens of an outside perspective. You do not need to be a student of anthropology, in any technical sense, to enjoy and learn from what you see.
A long list of fascinating movies is at your fingertips. AnthropologyFilms.com is for all of us ... because it is about all of us. Take part in the world!
Seeing Anthropology: Cultural Anthropology Through Filmby Dr. Karl G. Heider (4th Edition)
This unique book-DVD package illuminates 14 distinct cultures with more than 20 excerpts from ethnographic films. A compelling introduction to the world of cultural anthropology.