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General and Miscellaneous

Across the Frontiers (Tribal Eye).

Discusses the international processes and positive and negative external forces that effect change in tribal societies.1976 52 min. Video/C 181

Albert Kahn's Archive of the Planet

A peace-loving man with a decidedly global perspective, Albert Kahn spent most of his life and wealth trying to expand Western understanding of other cultures -- largely through film and photography. Originally released in 2007 as a series for BBC television. Dist.: Films Media Group.

A Vision of the World

This program delves into Kahn's origins and formative years and the launch of his Archive of the Planet project. Topics include Kahn's Jewish ancestry and Alsacian upbringing; his early success in finance; his admiration of Japanese art and customs; the development of autochrome photography by the Lumière brothers; Marguerite Mespoulet's colorful documentation of Ireland's vanishing Celtic traditions; and Kahn's expedition to Cornwall and London with August Leon. 50 min. DVD X5707

Men of the World

In 1908, Albert Kahn and his chauffeur embarked on a global trek to observe and absorb other cultures -- an early "prototype' of the many photographic missions Kahn would fund over the years. this program illustrates that formative round-the-world trip as well as the 1913 journey undertaken by photographer Stéphane Passet to China, Mongolia and India. Viewers will encounter startling images of early 20th century Manhattan, San Francisco, Tokyo and Beijing, as well as views of nascent Rio de Janeiro and burgeoning Buenos Aires. Scenes from Tsarist Siberia, the Mongolian steppes, a Varanasi teeming with worshippers, and a camel-and-elephant caravan on the Khyber Pass reaffirm the spectacular value of Kahn's grand project. 52 min. DVD X5708

Europe on the Brink

Poverty, emigration, declining birth rates, and ethnic divisions weakened many European countries as the 20th century began. From France to the Balkans, leaders prescribed nationalism and military buildup as the only solutions. This program studies the continent's march to war as depicted in the photographic record commissioned by French banker Albert Kahn. Early color images and film footage explore a range of themes -- including contrasts between urbanization and rural life in France, Germany and Scandinavia, the decline of the Ottoman Empire and its impact in Bulgaria, Serbia, Greece and Macedonia; and the grittiness of everyday life in Europe. kahn's pacifism is also a topic. 51 min. DVD X5709

The Soldiers' Story

As World War I engulfed his country, Albert Kahn struck a deal with the French army: his team of photographers would capture images and footage that helped the war effort in exchange for direct access to militarized zones. A century later, this program presents the results -- revealing the life and environment of the French soldier as recorded in Kahn's Archive of the Planet. The visual details of trench warfare and all its misery are combined with pictures from towns, hospitals , and barracks a few miles from the front -- evoking the humanity of the ordinary fighting man as well as the appalling devastation wrought by the era's instruments of death. 52 min. DVD X5710

The Civilians' Story: Albert Kahn's Archive of the Planet

In addition to documenting the Great War, Albert Kahn's team of photographers recorded the impact of the conflict on French civilian ife. This program explores both the propaganda value and the genuine emotional power in images of the war-torn French populace. French and Belgian refugees, ruined churches, and farms tended by women and the elderly are a few of the subjects rendered in exquisite and moving detail. Soissons smolders after a German retreat; Reims and its shattered cathedral hover on the edge of total destruction; and the Alsace region, Kahn's birthplace, regains its French identity. 52 min. DVD X5711

Europe After the Fire

Versailles, 1919: French banker Albert Kahn and his camera team are among the few photographers allowed inside the Hall of Mirrors for the treaty signing -- an example of Kahn's uncanny talent for documenting change. This program focuses on Kahn's pictorial record of the war's aftermath and the challenges of securing a true peace across Europe. Zeppelin-borne aerial footage conveys the scope of the destruction, while grave-digging and burial scenes evoke the staggering number of combatants killed. Other events and subjects include the influx of foreign workers that filled France's labor void; the French occupation of the Rhineland; German breadlines and Paris dance-halls; and war monuments in London and Verdun. 52 min. DVD X5712

Middle East, The Birth of Nations

No sooner had Europe declared an end to its Great War than the seeds of new conflict were sewn -- in the dismemberment of the Ottoman Empire. With typical global awareness, photography archivist Albert Khan chose to document the historic changes occurring in the colonial Middle East. This program traces his team's expeditions into Turkey, Syria, Lebanon, and Palestine as Western powers redrew the map of the region. The French takeover of Syria, the Balfour Declaration, and Turkey’s war with Greece come to life in Kahn’s street-level films and autochromes-- which also serve as reminders that Jerusalem, like many other Middle East locations, suffered greatly during World War I. 52 min. DVD X5713

Far East, Expeditions to Empires

From 1914 through much of the 1920's, Albert Kahn's photographic team was hard at work in Asia, amassing culturally and historically vital images. This program recounts journeys through Indochina and greater Asia in which the Kahn team opened up a world most Europeans had never dreamed of. Viewers discover Vietnam through its beggars, Tet celebrants and elegantly dressed Mandarin administrators; Cambodia, through its dancers and the imposing Angkor City complex; Japan, through rapidly Westernizing homes, dress and hairstyles; and India, through pictures of the maharajahs and other authorities rendered powerless by British rule. 51 min. DVD X5714

The End of a World

As they built an unsurpassed visual archive of world culture, Albert Kahn and his photographers turned their attention to widely divergent locations. This program follows the maritime odyssey of Lucien Le Saint, circa 1922, as he captured on film the daily lives of Newfoundland cod fisherman, as well as expeditions into northwestern Africa. Images from Morocco and Tunisia focus on occupying French soldiers, the prostitutes they patronized, and larger changes in those societies, while pictures taken in Dahomey (now Benin) shed light on the symbiotic relationship between Catholocism and the Vodun religion. Viewers also learn about the Colonial Exhibition of 1931, Kahn's financial collapse, and the fate of his archive after his death in 1940. 51 min. DVD X5714

Anthropology: Looking at the Human Condition

Presents an overview of the discipline of cultural anthropology (ethnology), the study of social organization among human beings and kinship as a human universal. Features archival film footage with commentary by contemporary anthropologists, among them Ben Chappell, who is conducting ethnographic research among lowriders in Texas. Supplementary short issued with: The Adventures of young Indiana Jones. 2007. 24 min. DVD X235

Bathing Babies in Three Cultures

A comparative series of sequences showing the interplay between mother and child in three different settings: bathing in the Sepik River in New Guinea, in a modern American bathroom, and in a mountain village of Bali in Indonesia. Photographer, Gregory Bateson ; editor, Josef Bohmer ; writer, Margaret Mead. 13 min. DVD X6332

Body Art

Throughout history people in nearly every culture have decorated or altered their bodies. The reasons are as varied as the patterns and processes: they seek to define themselves and their positions in society, to declare their allegiance to a god or to a cause, to conform to the customs of a group or to shock or entertain. From body painting to piercing to scarification, from tattoos to plastic surgery, from the Bronze age to the computer age, this film explores and celebrates the stunning diversity of body art. 2000. 50 min. DVD 1239

Bronislaw Malinowski: God Professor

Bronislaw Malinowski is a Polish anthropologist widely considered to be one of the most important anthropologists of the twentieth century because of his pioneering work on the methodology of ethnographic fieldwork, with which he also gave a major contribution to the study of Melanesia. Features archival film footage with commentary by authors, academics and anthropologists. Supplementary short issued with: The Adventures of young Indiana Jones. 2007. 29 min. DVD X235

Claude Lévi-Strauss

Presents an interview of anthropologist Claude Levi-Strauss by Jean Jose Marchand filmed in 1972. He talks about his life, and the development of his theories on structuralism in the thought and culture of primal man, as seen in remote groups in the Brazilian Amazon. A film by Pierre Beuchot. In French without English subtitles. 2004. 60 min. DVD 6650

Claude Lévi-Strauss par lui-même

Consisting of collected interviews from the 1960s through the present, examines the career and contributions of French anthropologist Claude L?vi-Strauss, father of structural anthropology, confirmed ecologist, and defender of diversity of cultures and peoples. His theories made an impact on linguistics, mythology, and pop culture studies as well as anthropology. Special feature: Regarding Tristes Tropiques, a film that revisits the places that inspired the book (46 min.). 93 min. DVD X1905

Different Paths: Shamanism, Cults, and Religion on Demand

Examines less traditional belief systems, practices and rituals as alternatives to organized religion. Looks at Shamanism, Millennialism, Astrology, and the upsurge of New Age religions. 1998. 57 min. Video/C 9675

Early Stone Tools

Professor Francois Bordes at the University of Bordeaux in France demonstrates some of the percussion flaking techniques which early man and his predecessors may have used to produce a variety of tools. Shows actual prehistoric tools from such sites as Olduvai Gorge, Clacton by the Sea, and various Neanderthal sites. Uses animation to show how the development of these tools parallels the evolution of man himself from his Australopithecine forebears to Homo sapiens. 199-? 20 min. DVD 9825 [preservation copy]; vhs Video/C MM734

An Ecology of Mind: A Daughter's Portrait of Gregory Bateson

A film portrait of Gregory Bateson, celebrated anthropologist, philosopher, author, naturalist, systems theorist, and filmmaker, produced and directed by his daughter, Nora Bateson. 2010. 60 min. DVD X6564

Description from Bullfrog Films catalog

Elsewhere

During the year 2000 Nicholas Geyrhalter and his teams travelled to twelve remote and rarely glimpsed locals and communities around the world, presenting an homage to humanity--fragile and resilient --at the start of the 21st century. Locations include Niger, Finland, Micronesia, Australia, China, Siberia and Greenland. 2001. 240 min. DVD X5053

Description from Icarus Films catalog

Faces of Culture

Anthropology and the Future

Ira R. Abrams, Laura Nader, and Napoleon Chagnon, each anthropologists with different areas of interest, discuss such questions as field work ethics, how best to use research findings, and the problems and promises of applied anthropology. The applicability of anthropological methods to the study of modern, complex societies is also examined. 30 min. DVD 8213 [preservation copy]; vhs Video/C 9889

The Future of Humanity. Provides expert speculations about the positive directions of future changes, such as space exploration, expansion of human intelligence, and biomedical changes which could lengthen the human life span. 1994. 28 min. Video/C 9890

Culture Change. Cultures are always changing. Sometimes the change is slow and peaceful, other times it is rapid and violent. Change can be stimulated from within a culture such as an invention or an idea, or it may result from the introduction of an object or idea from outside the culture. Cultures and countries used as examples include the Manus of New Guinea, Indians of Brazil, Eskimos and the people of India and Iran. 1983. 28 min. Video/C 9891

The Arts. The purpose and use of the arts in society is examined in this program. A society can be understood through its art, music, dance, painting, sculpture, tatoos, body painting and other artistic expressions. Countries used as examples include Egypt (Tomb of Tutankhamen), Tibet, Bali, Mexico and the United States.1994. 28 min. Video/C 9892

Social Control. Examines diverse forms of legal systems designed to maintain order within a society including various kinds of conflict resolution and sanctions ranging from formal trials and mediation to "trial by ordeal" as practiced in India. Cultures and countries used as examples include the Amish of Pennsylvania, Eskimos and the Masai and Barabaig peoples of Africa.1994. 28 min. Video/C 9893

Patterns of Subsistence: The Food Producers. The concept of food production and its impact upon the organization of society is explored. Included are the concept of land ownership, specialization of labor, social stratification and the advent of formal government. The Mexican Yucatan Maya, Melanesian agriculturalists and an Afghanistan village are used as examples. 1994. 29 min. Video/C 9895

The Nature of Culture. The definition of culture is explored through contrasting traditional societies with modern societies. Western society and its symbolic systems are contrasted wth the !Kung Tribe, the Txukarrame of the Amazon and the Boran of Kenya. c1983. 30 min. Video/C 9896

Age, Common Interest, and Stratification(Faces of Culture)

Discusses three methods of grouping, which are common to most societies. Included are age grading among the Masai; vocational stratification in the Brotherhood of Black Pullmen Porters; and social stratification in an affluent American family, the caste system in India, and South African apartheid. 1983. 29 min. Video/C MM10

Kinship and Descent. Part I (Faces of Culture)

This program examines inheritance patterns, children's names, married names, and important family names in business and government as cultural examples of kinship and descent in the United States. This is contrasted with matrilineal descent patterns among the Trobriand Islanders, and economic and religious elements in the Mendi clans. 1983. 29 min. Video/C MM8

Kinship and Descent. Part II (Faces of Culture)

This program explores the question, "Is there a relationship between subsistance patterns and the degree of importance placed on kinship and descent?" Kindred is defined and the role of kindred is examined in hunting and gathering, horticultural and intensive agricultural societies. 1983. 29 min. Video/C MM9

Language and Communication(Faces of Culture)

Shows how language, the primary means of human communication, is expressed in the sounds and movements of every culture to express feelings and aspirations. Discusses the structure and development of human language and its relationship to thought, as well as the significance of body language. Compares dialects and the language of Black Americans, Hopi Indians, African Nuers and other cultural groups to investigate whether thought reflects or influences culture. 1983. 29 min. Video/C MM11

Culture and Personality(Faces of Culture)

This program begins with a definition of enculturation and Margaret Mead's attempt to document the influence of culture on individual personality. The link between culture and personality is further examined through a discussion of the strength and weaknesses of National Character studies conducted during the 1940's and contrasting "core values" in three cultures: Japan, China and the United States. 1983. 29 min. Video/C MM3

Economic Anthropology

Examines both western and non-western economic practices and points out the importance of understanding the total integration between economic practices and the values and practices of the larger culture. Various cultural systems for the distribution of limited goods and services are examined, from equal distribution of goods among the !Kung to the balanced reciprocity among the Yanomamo Indians and the Trobriand Islanders; from barter among the Mendi of Papua New Guinea to the market place in Afghanistan. 1987. 29 min. Video/C 9998

The Face of Evil

Surveys the long history of attempts to identify and categorize the physiognomy of evil, from the paintings of Hieronymous Bosch to such "sciences" as physiognomics, phrenology, eugenics, and anthropometrics, to latterday notions of criminal anthropology. The film illustrates these dubious efforts through the historical case study of Bruno Ludke, an alleged serial killer arrested in Germany in 1943. The stockily-built, mentally deficient young man, who was felt by Nazi authorities to have the appearance of a "born criminal," became a guinea pig for a series of biological experiments to validate their beliefs in racial categories, of atavistic or degenerate types, a hierarchical ranking of the "Other." Directed by Davide Tosco. c2006. 52 min. DVD 8648

Description from First Run Icarus catalog

Fashion and Clothing

Various experts discuss the origins and history of clothing from the ancients to the moderns. Topics include symbolism associated with clothing, such as gender and status, sexism in fashion, the impact of wartime rationing on clothing styles, fashion icons such as Coco Chanel and body piercing and tatoos as a form of contemporary personal expression. 1998. 52 min. Video/C 9678

For Richer, For Poorer(New Pacific; 6)

Compares and contrasts weddings in China, Korea, Japan, Hawaii, Papua New Guinea and Tonga, showing how the institution of marriage is a key to understanding the social attitudes of the various cultures. 1985. 50 min. Video/C MM583

Four Families.

A comparison of child rearing practices in India, France, Japan, and Canada. Anthropologist Margaret Mead discusses how the upbringing of the child contributes to a distinctive national character. 199-?. 59 min. Video/C 3449

Franz Boas, 1858-1942 (Odyssey series)

Examines the life of Franz Boas, anthropologist, scientist, explorer, to help the viewer better understand his accomplishments and philosophies. c1980. 60 min. DVD 4056; also VHS Video/C 276

Description from Documentary Educational Resources catalog

[Freeman, Paul] Paul Freeman Collection

Presents videos documenting rituals of healing and social therapy encountered among traditional people throughout the world. Disc 1: Japan, Festival for the Dead, Itako Festival (1991, 71 min.) -- Disc 2. California "The spirit lives," Terry Li, Pomo indian spirituality (1981, 27 min.) -- Disc 3. India "Temples and healers," Traditional treatment by Antti Pakaslahti (1997, 36 min.) -- Disc 4. Pakistan and India, Transcultural psychiatry meetings on religious ritual and festivals in North India (1995, 37 min.) -- Disc 6. Cambodia, travels with mental health worker Chhieng Tan (1995, 67 min.) DVD 3867

Guns, Germs, and Steel

An epic detective story that offers a gripping expose on why the world is so unequal. Professor Jared Diamond traveled the globe for over 30 years trying to answer this question: Why did Eurasians conquer, displace, or decimate Native Americans, Australians, and Africans, instead of the reverse? Diamond dismantles racially based theories of human history by revealing the environmental factors actually responsible for history's broadest patterns. Disc. 1. Episode 1. Out of Eden / produced & directed by Tim Lambert ; Episode 2. Conquest / produced & directed by Tim Lambert -- Disc 2. Episode 3. Into the tropics / director, Cassian Harrison -- special features. 2004. 165 min. DVD 8235

History of Sex

Series exploring the worldwide history of sex and sexual practices from ancient civilizations through the 20th century. 1999. 50 min. each installment

Ancient Civilizations. Explores the history of sex and sexual practices in the ancient civilizations of Mesopotamia, Babylon, Rome, Greece and Egypt. From fertility rights to the temples of love, highlights how sex and sexual practices infiltratred ancient mythology, from the earliest dynasties to the Roman bacchanalias and Greek gods. Video/C 9170

Eastern World. The Eastern world for centuries has regarded sex not only as natural but also as mind-expanding and spiritual. With an intriguing perspective on the connection between sexuality, philosophy and spirituality, this segment gives an intimate glimpse inside China, Japan, India and the Arab world -- the homes to mystery, exploration and the religious classification of sex. Video/C 9171

The Middle Ages. In the Middle Ages, the evolution of sexual beliefs and practices was inspired by religion. From the fall of the Roman Empire through the Renaissance, sexuality went under cover, only to emerge with strict rules and imposed shame. Pagan rituals, gnostic cults, romantic troubadours, chivalrous knights, chaste maidens and courtly love are just a few of the conflicting extremes that define Medieval sexuality. Video/C 9172

From Don Juan to Queen Victoria. In the 19th century various views of sex flourished. The ideal woman evolved, submissive, quiet and gentle. But underneath the surface the rhythm of this period beat with scandalous pleasure which included prostitution and brothels. Part five: The 20th century has seen western society's view of sexuality evolve at a rapid rate. Spurred on by the Industrial Revolution, women's liberation and the proliferation of the media, the line between experimentation and exploitation has been blurred. Video/C 9173

The Human Hambone

Highlights the talents of a wide variety of both amateur and professional musicians and dancers throughout North America who use every part of the human body to make music. Also examines body music within an anthropological and biological framework, demonstrating how the body is filled with natural "clocks," which account for the fundamental human connection with rhythm. Performers/commentators: Sam McGrier, DC Coaliton Step Team, Radioactive, Click the Supah Latin, Artis the Spoonman ; Derique McGee, Brian Williams (Birdman), Keith Terry, Sandy Silva, Bob Moses, Larry M. Schwarz, Guy Davis, Jimmy Slyde, Andrew Nemr. 2005. 47 min. DVD 5145

Description from First Run/Icarus catalog

Innocents Abroad

A delightful, light-hearted documentary about forty American tourists visiting ten European countries in a whirlwind two weeks. Starting in London and visiting Amsterdam, Heidelberg, The Black Forest, Lucerne,Innsbruck, Venice, Rome, Florence, Pisa, Nice, Avignon and Paris, the film chronicles a diverse group experiencing Europe for the first time. Not a typical travelogue but an exploration of the experience of travel, this film provides human interest and sociological insights. A film by Les Blank. Dist.: Flower Films.1991. 84 min. DVD X1633

Jean Rouch

Bibliography of articles/books about Rouch

Conversations with Jean Rouch

This intimate revealing film of conversations between Jean Rouch and a number of filmmakers and friends, including John Marshall and Colin Young, is unlike any past films on Rouch's life and work. It was shot over a three year period from 1978-1980 by his friend, Ann McIntosh, who followed Rouch to France three times, gaining access that no other film biographer has had. A film by Ann McIntosh. 36 min. DVD 9753

Description from Documentary Educational Resources catalog

Jean Rouch

Interview of Jean Rouch by Robert Gardner. As a filmmaker, Rouch left a legacy of more than 120 films. His half century of ethnographic filmmaking in Africa distinguished him as a master of the documentary form. Jean Rouch appeared on Screening Room in July 1980 and screened Les Maitres Fous as well as several film excerpts including Rhythm of Work and Death of a Priest. Originally broadcast in 1980. 64 min. DVD 4491

Description from Documentary Educational Resources catalog

Jean Rouch and His Camera in the Heart of Africa

This program provides an in-depth look at the film work of Jean Rouch and his associates from Niger who participated in production of many of Rouch's Niger-based films. Rouch, Philo Bregstein and Niger cameramen discuss filmmaking and filmmakers who have had historical influence in the field. Segments from several of Rouch's earlier film works are interspersed with the filming in Niger and interviews. 1978. 74 min. Video/C 9202

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Description from Documentary Educational Resources catalog

Jean Rouch: Premier Film, 1947-1991

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Rouch in Reverse.

A film by Manthia Diawara. French ethnologist/filmmaker, Jean Rouch discusses his work with Manthia Diawara. Includes a cross-section of Rouch's work with clips from his documentary Les Maitres Fous, his cinema verite classic, Chronique D'ete, and his pioneering masterpiece Moi, Un Noir(Treichville). Throughout the interview Diawara places Rouch's films in the context of the on-going struggle of Africans to construct their own vision of modernity. c1995. 51 min. Video/C 4484

Description from California Newsreel catalog

Rouch's Gang (De bende van Rouch)

Follows the film crew of "Madame l'Eau" and provides a glimpse behind the scenes as director Jean Rouch and his four friends from Niger make their film. This outsider's view of "Madame l'Eau" provides insight into how Rouch approaches his films. In most of his films, Jean Rouch has used his four African friends; Damoure Zika, Lam Ibrahim Dia and Tallou Mouzourane as actors and Moussa Hamidou as sound man. Rouch has been their friend for more than forty years and this complex bond of friendship serves as the theme for this documentary. 1998. 70 min. Video/C 6566

Description from California Newsreel catalog

The JVC Video Anthology of World Music and Dance.

A comprehensive (31 volume) compilation of world dance and music.

Dance Research Journal v25, n2 (Fall, 1993):49-51.

[Kroeber, A.L.] Samuel Barrett Interviews A.L. Kroeber, 1960

Samuel Barrett, the first Ph.D in Anthropology at the University of California, Berkeley, interviews anthropologist A.L. Kroeber, the first faculty member in the UC Berkeley Department of Anthropology. 1:09 minutes.

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Margaret Mead: An Observer Observed.

Dealing with the controversies as well as the accomplishments of Margaret Mead's life, this program weaves together a story of a scientist, adventurer and international celebrity whose ideas shaped how we think about ourselves. 1995. 85 min. Video/C 5058

Margaret Mead: Portrait by a Friend

French filmmaker Jean Rouch interviews anthropologist Margaret Mead. Mead speaks about her personal history, her family, her influences and mentors, and her field work in Bali, New Guinea, and Manus (also known as Great Admiralty Island). Mead and Rouch walk through the American Museum of Natural History's Hall of Pacific Peoples, and she discusses her theories about museum exhibits. They also visit the Dept. of Anthropology specimen storage area. Towards the conclusion of her interview, Mead considers the history of anthropology and speculates on its future role in building new cultures. A film by Jean Rouch with John Marshall 1978. 30 min. DVD X3294

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Description from Documentary Educational Resources catalog

Margaret Mead, Taking Note.

Anthropologist Margaret Mead was largely responsible for popularizing anthropology in America. From her pioneering studies of children to her speeches about the fate of the environment, Mead was both a student of the world and its teacher. Originally broadcast as a segment of the Odyssey series in 1981. Dist.: Documentary Educational Resources. 60 min. DVD X6665; Video/C 4156

Description from Documentary Educational Resources catalog

Der Menschen Forscher

Presents a provocative and powerful examination of the life and theories of famed Austrian anthropologist Rudolf Poch. A major figure in the history of 20th-century European anthropology, Poch did field work in New Guinea and the Kalahari, and during World War I, did research in POW camps studying the physical attributes of Russian prisoners. He used these studies to substantiate his theories on racial purity and superiority later used by the Nazis. The program poses a variety of questions central to the very nature of anthropology, its uses and abuses. 1992. 60 min. Video/C MM609

Modern Myths

All communities embrace organizing principles that are indispensable to their cohesion, imposing order on chaos and allowing individuals to function in groups. Many of these principles are related through myths. In this program, the transformation of the earlier "savior" myth into the modern myth of the "hero" is examined. Also discussed are how social myths such as "progress" facilitate modern industrial societies, and the myth of the "star" as a social construct that provides the audience with an object on which to project its ideals. 1999. 53 min. Video/C 9674

Modern Tribalism

Journey into America's primitive soul in this graphic, unflinching and startlingly touching documentary about the resurgence of humanity's oldest and most intense rituals. From garden-variety tattooing, to frenzied effigy-burning festivals, to the disturbing extremes of body-piercing, this documentary explores the cultural context surrounding this underground movement. 2002. 77 min. DVD 1403

Mondo Cane.

A classic bit of sensationalist "documentary" featuring thirty sequences of eccentric human behavior, including cannibalism, pig killing, dog meat restaurants in Taiwan, human laceration in Italy, social customs of New Guinea, the "death houses" of Singapore, Ginkha soldiers dressed as women, Rossano Brazzi's violent fans, social attitudes towards overweight women in various cultures, pet cemetaries, etc. Videocassette release of a motion picture originally produced in 1961. 107 min. Video/C 4903

Morning with Asch.

Jayasinhji Jhala, professor of Anthropology at Temple University, interviews filmmaker, educator and visual anthropologist, Timothy Asch, in his Los Angeles home. Asch, expresses his views on his life and work and reveals intimate perspectives on confronting his death from cancer. Excerpts from Asch's films representing his groundbreaking fieldwork with the Yanomamo and the indigenous peoples of Indonesia are woven into the dialogue. 1955. 45 min. Video/C 4812

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Description from Documentary Educational Resources catalog

Timothy Asch bibliography

Other People's Garbage

Archeological excavations of the recent past expand our understanding of the texture of everyday life. Historical archeologists have unique resources not often available to prehistoric archeologists--records, legal, civil and historic documents and oral histories. Looks at the mining town at Mount Diablo, east of San Francisco; the slave quarters on the plantations of Saint Simon's Island, Georgia; and archeological projects made necessary by the expansion of Boston's mass transit system. Originally broadcast as a segment of the Odyssey series in 1980. Dist.: Documentary Educational Resources. 59 min. DVD X3865

Political Organization

This program profiles the four major forms of political organization: bands, tribes, chiefdoms, and states. Groups studied are the Kung of southwestern Africa, the Mendi of New Guinea, the chiefdom of the Kpelle of Liberia, and concept of a state as exemplified by the theocratic government of Tibet which is presently in exile in India. 1983. 29 min. Video/C MM1

The Prize of the Pole

Documentary of Inuit Hivshu a.k.a. Robert E. Peary II, on a quest to trace the story of his great grandfather while coming to terms with his own ethnic identity. Through archival footage, photos and audio recordings chronicles Peary's exploration of the Arctic over more than twenty years and his controversial 1909 claim to be the first man to reach the North Pole. Also explores the activities of Franz Boas, the "father" of American anthropology, who viewed the Eskimos as barbarians, as "living fossils" for scientific study, focusing on the fate of the six Eskimos who traveled to New York with Peary, including the sole survivor, Minik, a six-year-old boy. Directed by Staffan Julen. 2006. 78 min. DVD 8637

Description from First Run Icarus catalog

Religion and Magic

While all cultures exhibit some religious practices andbeliefs, the forms taken are diverse. The animism practiced by American Indians, the mixture of ancient religion and Roman Catholicism among the Highland Maya, the ritual of Eka Dasa Rudra among the Balinese and successful and unsuccessful modern movements serve to illustrate the thesis. c1983. 30 min. Video/c 578

Return of the Tribal: Body Piercing

For some people, body modification is a form of pop expression, while for others it is a rite of passage and a symbol of belonging. This program travels through the United States, Ethiopia, and Sri Lanka to examine different types of body modification practiced today, including body painting, tattooing, scarification, body piercing, and structural alteration. 2000. 50 min. Video/C 8900

Ruins: A Fake Documentary

Counterfeiting is a practice with broad implications, from the merest of fake objects to entire histories shaped as facsimile. Here filmmaker Lerner collates early colonial misconceptions of the Mexican populace, a jumble of ethnographic and political distortions. From there he charts the process that recontextualizes archeological objects as art. At the center of the film is master forger Brigido Lara, whose pre-columbian objects have been exhibited in major museums throughout the U.S. and Europe. A film by Jesse Lerner. 1999. 78 min. Video/C 9205

The Sacred

All communities hold something sacred, whether it is a supreme being, nature, or life itself. This program explores the role of the sacred in societies, from the most primitive forms of animism to the contemporary secular institutions that have sacred attributes. The importance of ritual, signs, and specific individuals in disparate cultures is addressed by noted anthropologists. The program also addresses the role of myth, stressing the universal presence of the mother goddess in all early religions. 1997. 48 min. Video/C 9677

Secrets of the Tribe

The field of anthropology goes under the magnifying glass in this fiery investigation of the seminal research on Yanomami Indians. In the 1960s and '70s, a steady stream of anthropologists filed into the Amazon Basin to observe this "virgin" society untouched by modern life. Thirty years later, the events surrounding this infiltration have become a scandalous tale of academic ethics and infighting. Director José Padilha brilliantly employs two provocative strategies to raise unsettling questions about the boundaries of cultural encounters. He allows professors accused of heinous activities to defend themselves, and the Yanomamo to represent their side of the story. As this riviting excavation deconstructs anthropology's colonial legacy, it challenges our society's myths of objectivity and the very notion of "the other." Director, José Padilha. c2010. 98 min. DVD X5035

Description from Documentary Educational Resources catalog

Shamanism: A Universal Science

This program cuts across cultures and national boundaries to delve into the world of Shamanic medicine. Shamans from four countries, ritualistic dancers, an anthropologist, a psychologist, a doctor, and others investigate this form of traditional healing, contrasting it with Western medical science. The interviews took place at the Shamanism and Healing Congress, held in Pavia, Italy. Originally produced in 1998. 38 min. Video/C 6821

Strangers Abroad: Pioneers of Social Anthropology.

The Shackles of Tradition. Profile of the German scientist who is considered the founding father of American anthropology, beginningwith his investigations of the relations between Eskimo migrations and the physical geography of their region and extending to his fieldwork among the Indian tribes of the Northwest Coast of America. c1990. 52 min. Video/C 3852

Everything is Relatives. William Rivers, who originally trained as a doctor, did work as a pioneering psychologist in the First World War. This background enabled Rivers to bring a scientific approach to anthropology and to set the trend for anthropologists to go and visit the cultures they are studying rather than stay at home and theorize. River's did his major field work with Torres Strait Australian aborigines and with a hill tribe in Southern India, the Todas. 1990. 52 min. Video/C 3853

Off the Verandah. Bronislaw Malinowski was the anthropologist who really changed the way field studies were carried out. He worked on a remote group of Pacific islands, The Trobriands, and lived for long periods among the people he was studying and made their lives intelligible to the West. 1990. 52 min. Video/C 3854

Coming of Age. Chronicles the life and career of Margaret Mead, one of the most controversial anthropologists and fieldworkers of her day. Includes original footage from American Samoa, New Guinea and Bali. 1990. 52 min. Video/C 3855

Strange Beliefs. Sir Edward Evans-Pritchard was the first trained anthropologist to do work in Africa, where he lived among the Azande in Zaire and studied their belief in witchcraft and later worked with the Neur tribe in the Sudan. 1990. 52 min. DVD X2293; vhs Video/C 3856

Taboo

The television series Taboo presents an insider's view of closed worlds traditionally off-limits to outsiders with stunning stories of shocking and unusual rituals and traditions. Originally broadcast on the National Georgaphic Channel in 2003. 48 min. each

Drugs

In most societies mind-altering drugs are taboo and banned by law. Most governments argue that they lead to addiction and anti-social behavior. But there are cultures where these drugs are sanctioned--and even encouraged. Sometimes drugs are used as part of religious rituals, sometimes for traditional healing practices. Taking mind-altering drugs is one of the few taboo practices that is widely practiced yet fiercely contested. This episode explores the spiritual and social role of mind-transporting drugs in ancient cultures and modern society, including their traditional use in northern Peru, peyote in Mexico and Ecstasy to combat social inhibitions in the USA. 48 min. DVD X1140

Tattoo

In Borneo, headhunters commemorate their murders with the most taboo tattoo of all. In Africa, "scarification" transforms boys to men. At a tattoo convention, every body is a canvas. Why would you get a tattoo? 48 min. DVD X1141

Delicacies

Fancy a dish of poisonous fugu fish? How about rams' testicle paté? Sheeps' heads and rotting shark are a particular treat. Or if it's an aphrodisiac one seeks--why not try a carefully prepared bull penis? Food taboos and delicacies often arise from cultural and religious beliefs; one person's meat is another's poison. DVD X1142

Extreme Entertainers

Goes behind the scenes to see Japanese geishas in training, visits the gorgeous women of a Thai cabaret (who are actually men), and to a North American sideshow whose performers embrace pain to entertain. DVD X1143

Tests of Faith

All religions make demands on practitioners for the blessings they impart. But some people go to extreme lengths to prove their faith, from crucifying themselves to jumping off cliffs. How far would you go? DVD X1143

Rites of Passage

Cultures around the world push people into the next phase of life with practices that can seem taboo, from rough circumcision in South Africa to a grueling four-day ordeal meant to thrust Apache girls into womanhood. DVD 1141

Death

From exhuming the bones of ancestors in Taiwan, to embalming corpses in the United States, to embracing them among the Aghori mystics of India, how cultures deal with the dead says a great deal about their values. DVD 1141

Sexuality

How far would you go to change your sexual identity? In Albania, a group of sworn virgins discard their female identities and live as men. In Thailand, a man changes his sex through surgery. In India, meet Mona, a eunuch. DVD X1141

Witchcraft

In the modern world, witchcraft and witches are dismissed as fantasies, but in many cultures, magic is alive and its practitioners admired and feared. Meet an anthropologist who became a believer in Mexico and a "witch cleanser" in Zimbabwe. DVD X1140

Marriage

In most of the world, marriage is confined to one man and one woman, the basic formula for propagating the species. But in some cultures, marriage has broader meanings. See how other communities identify and celebrate the essence of family. DVD X1140

Voodoo

Every culture's religion is taboo somewhere, but voodoo seems to be the ultimate outcast. Why? How accurate are tales of possession and black magic? Find out how little you really know about this controversial religion. DVD X1140

Evil Spirits

Watch an exorcist in the Philippines confront a seemingly possessed boy. See a Brazilian shaman try to reverse a spell that could kill her. Join a healing ritual for an African woman who believes her misfortune stems from her father's mysterious death. DVD X1140

Blood Sports

Cockfighting is popular in many parts of the world, but legal in only three U.S. states. In Mexico, bullfighting has evolved into a form of art with a deadly finish. And in Bolivia, people beat each other bloody in an annual fighting ritual. DVD X1140

Food

Take a spin around the globe in search of food taboos, some hilarious, others deadly serious. In Borneo, meet the durian, the world's only taboo fruit. In Los Angeles, an entrepreneur serves up bugs. In Thailand, deadly cobra is on the menu. DVD X1140

Healers

The ability to heal others is prized in all cultures. But a healer's source of power can be mysterious and treatment often requires a big leap of faith. Meet three healers who claim their strength derives from unconventional sources. DVD X1140

Initiation

Delve into the rituals that mark the passage from one phase of life to another - where pain is the price of acceptance and failure means a loss of pride and sometimes even a loss of life. Venomous ants, razor-sharp knives, and whips -- these are just come of the trials endured by initiates in order to belong. DVD X1143

Marks of Identity

Around the world, notions of beauty and identity are as varied as the cultures that produce them. Find out how identity can be written literally -- into the skin. DVD X1143

Gross Work

How far would you go to collect a paycheck? Meet volunteers who retrieve corpses from car crashes in Thailand, sewage divers in Mexico City who unclog drains of everything from raw sewage to toxic waste to dead bodies. DVD X1143

Blood Bonds

Cross the line of defined family bonds and explore alternative types of families. What makes the perfect family? In the Himalayas, the answer may be multiple husbands, while in certain provinces of China, women are in charge. DVD X1143

Sacred Pain

How far would you go to please your god? A village in Nepal welcomes the New Year with a tongue-boring ceremony. In Bali, the faithful turn knives against their own bodies. In Thailand, some religious devotees climb ladders with razor-sharp steps. DVD X1142

Outcasts

They are outcasts, living on the fringes of society, branded as "other" by their behaviour, their appearance, or their birth. What would you do if the taboo were you? DVD X1142

Body Perfect

Mentawai women in Sumatra file their teeth to sharp points, American men get buttocks implants, and Chinese men and women having their legs surgically lengthened to make them taller. How far would you go to match your culture's ideal of beauty? DVD X1142

Creature Cures

Goes beyond conventional medicine to explore cures of the creepy-crawly kind, like bee-sting therapy in Taiwan to blood-sucking leeches in India. DVD X1142

Justice

Looks at various forms of judicial rites and practices. Travels the world from a trial by boiling oil in Togo, to blood feuds in Albania, and "shame" justice in Texas. DVD X1142

After Death

Looks at how various cultures confront the untimate taboo: dealing with the dead. DVD X1142

Child Rearing

Looks at unusual culturally driven child rearing practices in a variety of coutries. In India's Tihar prison, some parents raise their kids behind bars, while in Sumatra, children experience an unusual degree of freedom. In China many children are raised in gymnastics training as the Olympics are a great source of pride throughout China. DVD X1142

Taking Pictures.

Australian documentary filmmakers explore the issues and pitfalls of filming across cultural boundaries through interviews and samples of their films of Papua New Guinea including Trobriand Cricket, First Contact, The Shark Callers of Kontu, Joe Leah's Neighbors, Black Harvest, Cannibal tours, and others. It also covers the work of indigenous Papua New Guinea filmmakers and their own experience making sense of film and culture. Featuring: Gary Kildea, Dennis O'Rourke, Chris Owen, Bob Connolly, Robin Anderson, Steve McMillan, Martin Maden, Ian Dunlop, Kuman Kolain. 1996. 56 min. Video/C 4933

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A World of Differences: Understanding Cross-cultural Communication.

Highlights the potentials for misunderstanding when different cultures interact. Examines problem areas of food, gestures, idioms, ritual and courtesy, touch and personal space, emotion, parents and children, courtship and marriage, and intercultural couples. 1997. 35 min. DVD 8349; Video/C 4716

Description from Berkeley Media LLC catalog

A World of Food: Tastes & Taboos in Different Cultures.

Examines some of the attitudes that make food a fascinating focus of powerful cultural and individual differences. In this film food choices are divided into 7 primary categories and a variety of individuals from various cultures and ethnic and religious affiliations are interviewed concerning what they are willing to eat and why. Professor Dane Archer, UC Santa Cruz, presenter. c2000. 36 min. DVD 8351; Video/C 7468

Description from Berkeley Media LLC catalog

A World of Gestures: Culture & Nonverbal Communication.

Gestures from different cultures around the world are explored. People from many nations are shown performing all kinds of gestures pecular to their culture. Also explored are the meaning, function and origin of gestures. c1991. 27 min. DVD 8350; Video/C 2429

Description from Berkeley Media LLC catalog

To the top

Africa

Africa Speaks!

Narrator, Lowell Thomas. Documentary account of Paul Hoefler's photography expedition through central Africa in 1928-1929. Containing many varied and interesting shots of African tribes and wildlife, the film footage from it was later interpolated into many jungle-themed adventure movies. Originally released as a motion picture in 1930. 60 min. Video/C MM536

Angano...Angano: Tales from Madagascar.

Contemporary storytellers recount the founding myths of Malagasy culture, the creation of man and woman, the origin of rice cultivation, the reason for animal sacrifice. Director; Cesar Paes. 1989. 64 min. Video/C 3771

Description from California Newsreel catalog

Baka: People of the Forest

Depicts a journey to a rain forest in southeastern Cameroon, home of the Baka people. The camera follows a family -- father, mother, and two young sons -- for an intimate look at everyday life in a hunter-gatherer society. Viewers join the Baka by day as they harvest honey, catch fish, and use forest plants to make medicines and see them by night as legends are passed on and as a family prepares for the birth of a baby. Originally produced in 1988. 61 min. Video/C 9539

Behind the Mask (Tribal Eye)

Examines some of the carved ceremonial masks of the Dogon tribe of Nigeria. Shows how these artifacts are created and explains how they are used in the Dogons' sacred rituals. 1976. 52 min. Video/C 176

Bitter Melons. (!Kung San Series).

Portrays the difficulty of survival in the central Kalahari Desert in southern Africa, in a zone where game is scarce because waterholes are dry most of the year. A native musician performs songs about animals, the land, and the social life. Includes traditional music, dances, and children's games. Director/camera, John Marshall. 1991. 30 min. Video/C 3427

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Description from Documentary Educational Resources catalog

John Marshall bibliography

Bo-ru, the Ape Boy.

This documentary gives an example of a boy who was raised by apes, found by an African tribe and assimilated into their village. Presents remarkable ethnographic photography of Africa in the early 1930s. "Produced and directed in the heart of Africa by Major C. Court Treatt." Originally produced in 1930. 35 min. Video/C MM535

Butterfly People: The Samburu of Northern Kenya

The Samburu are pastoralists whose lifestyle is undergoing change. This film presents a comparison between the old ways and new ideas, exploring circumcision and marriage rituals, astronomy, spiritual beliefs and the film director's own relationship with that community. Directed by Rhodia Mann. 2006. 42 min. DVD X1634

Dance, Voodoo, Dance (Benin).

Among the many ethnic groups of Benin, two in particular stand out as practitioners of the ancient rites of voodoo. This program explains who the voodoo practitioners are as well as the mythical origins of their cult; it also shows the music and dance of these two groups. c1992.15 min. Video/C 3028

Debe's Tantrum (!Kung San series).

When 5 year old Debe is not allowed to accompany his mother on a gathering expedition he resorts to a temper tantrum to get his way. Photographer/director, John Marshall. 1966. 9 min. Video/C 3424

Description from Documentary Educational Resources catalog

John Marshall bibliography

Deep Hearts

An ethnographic portrayal of the Bororo people of Niger, showing an annual ritual dance, which symbolizes their beliefs about containing and controlling their feelings of love. Photography, Robert Gardner, Robert Fulton; editors, Robert Gardner, Robert Fulton. 1979. 58 min. DVD 5508

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Description from Documentary Educational Resources catalog

Lieber, Michael "Deep Hearts." American Anthropologist, New Series, Vol. 82, No. 1 (Mar., 1980), pp. 224-225 UC users only

Loizes, Peter

"Deep Hearts." In: Innovation in ethnographic film : from innocence to self-consciousness, 1955-85 / Peter Loizos. Chicago : University of Chicago Press, 1993. (Anthropology GN347 .L65 1993)

Robert Gardner bibliography

Hamar Trilogy.

Executive producer, Chris Curling ; anthropologist, Jean Lydall; producer, Joanna Head; editors, David Hope, Richard Stillwell ; photography, Nina Kellgren, Alessandra Scherillo.

Catalog description from Filmakers Library

The Women Who Smile The first program in a trilogy focusing on the Hamar, an isolated people of Southwestern Ethiopia. In this film Duka, a young unmarried Hamar girl, learns what awaits her in life from the older women of her tribe. Their often humorous conversations range from pregnancy and growing old to relationships with men. Although the men are dominant, the women are not servile. Shows harvest celebrations and the blessing ceremony for a new baby. 1996. 50 min. DVD X7088; Video/C 4513

Two Girls Go Hunting. The second program in a trilogy focusing on the Hamar, an isolated people of Southwestern Ethiopia. This film shows Duka and her friend, Gardi, as they prepare to marry men they have never met. The film follows Duka, from the build-up to the marriage, from the all night vigil with girlfriends, to farewells when the bride is taken away at dawn to the village of her husband's family, the arrival in the village and the preparation of the prospective bride for the ceremony by the mother-in-law. 50 min. DVD X7089; Video/C 4514

Our Way of Loving. The third program in a trilogy focusing on the Hamar, an isolated people of Southwestern Ethiopia. This film shows Duka, now a mother with two young children. Her life is dominated by caring for them and her husband, Sago. Although Sago and Duka seem to have an affectionate marriage, he beats her when provoked. She accepts this behavior for she believes it is a man's way of loving. Film also shows the ceremony of Sago's cousin's initiation into manhood. 1994. 50 min. DVD X7090; Video/C 4515

Healers of Ghana.

Explores the traditional medical practices of the Bono people of central Ghana and how their healers are accommodating the conflict between the arrival of Western medicine and their religious beliefs. Traditionally, Bono tribal priests undergo a painful spiritual possession, during which deities reveal to them the causes of illnesses, which plants to use to treat them, who is perpetrating witchcraft, and which villagers might be endangering society through improper behavior. 1993. 58 min. Video/C 5002

Herdsmen of the Sun (Wodaabe les bergers du soleil)

A documentary film of the Wodaabe people of the Sahara/Sahel region with a focus on the courtship rituals of the tribe. Once a year in what amounts to a beauty pageant, the young men dress up and parade in front of the women. Each woman must then chose and spend the next few nights with the man she finds most beautiful. Directed by Werner Herzog. 1988. 54 min. DVD 6506; vhs Video/C 9557

The Hunters (!Kung San series).

In this classic documentary, the Kalahari Bushmen of Africa wage a constant war for survival against the hot arid climate and unyielding soil. 'The Hunters' focuses on four men who undertake a hunt to obtain meat for their village. The chronicle of their 13-day. Writer/director, John Marshall. 1957. 72 min. Video/C 3428

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Description from Documentary Educational Resources catalog

John Marshall bibliography

Jaguar.

A film by Jean Rouch. A documentary of three men from Niger who leave Niger to seek wealth and adventure in the coastal cities of Ghana then called the Gold Coast. Film portrays conditions that existed in West Africa in the 1950's when it was possible to travel freely and there was an exhilarating sense of opportunity in the air. 198-. 93 min. Video/C 3459 [also on DVD 3911, Disc 3 without English subtitles]

Description from Documentary Educational Resources catalog

Bibliography of articles/books about Rouch

Jean Rouch

Presents ten films by ethnologist Jean Rouch, along with interviews of the filmmaker, famous for his Niger-based films. All films in French without English subtitles

Disc 1. Cine-Transe: Les Maitres fous (1956, 28 min.) -- Mammy Water (1956, 18 min.) -- Les Tambours d'avant/Tourou et Bitti (1972, 9 min.) ; Cine-conte: La chasse au lion a l'arc (1967, 77 min.) -- Un lion nomme l'Americain (1972, 20 min.) --- Disc 2. Cine-Plaisir: Jaguar (1967, 88 min.) -- Moi, un noir (1959, 70 min.) --- Disc 3. Cine-Rencontre: Petit a petit (1971, 92 min.) -- La pyramide humaine (1961, 88 min.) -- Disc 4. Cine-Rouch: Jean Rouch raconte a Pierre-Andre Boutang (104 min.) -- A propos de Jean Rouch, conversation Bernard Surugue et Patrick Leboutte -- Le double d'hier a rencontre demain / un film de Luc Riolon et Bernard Surugue (2004, 10 min.) -- Le Veuves de 15 ans / un film de Jean Rouch (1965, 24 min.)DVD (PAL, Region 9) DVD 3911

Jean Rouch: Premier Film : 1947-1991 (First Film, 1947-1991)

Filmmaker Jean Rouch improvises a new commentary for his first film made in 1947, "In the land of the Black Magi" (Au pays des mages noirs). He explains the sacrifices he made due to the producer ; his footage was re-edited with a new ending, new titles, stock footage, "tropical muzak," and a newsreel-style narration heavy on drama and highlighting the exotic. Here the insight of Rouch emerges as he "finishes" and restores the film, improvising a new commentary and transforming it into a new form in which the film's true meaning is illuminated and the humanity of the subjects restored. 27 min. DVD 4951

Description from Documentary Educational Resources catalog

A Joking Relationship (!Kung San series).

Examines humor as an important part of institutionalized kinship behavior among the !Kung Bushman. Photographer/director, John Marshall. 1966. 13 min. Video/C 3429

Description from Documentary Educational Resources catalog

John Marshall bibliography

The King Does Not Lie: the Initiation of a Priest of Shango

Documentary showing the ritual and ceremony associated with the initiation of a priest of Shango, the Thundergod of the traditional Yoruba religion. Takes place in a contemporary Puerto Rican community among New World practitioners of the ancient religion, Santeria. c1992. 44 min. Video/C8425

Kingdom of Bronze (Tribal Eye).

Traces the development of skillful bronze casting techniques practiced by the Beni tribe of Nigeria. 1976. 52 min. Video/C 180

Lion Hunters (La chasse au lion a larc)

A film by Jean Rouch. An ethnographic study which follows a band of Niger hunters from the elaborate preparations for lion hunting through the actual kill. Lion hunting is reserved by tradition to the Gao, a group of professional hunters, masters of the techniques and rituals of poison-making. The film describes the intricacies of brewing the poison for the arrows and discusses the passion of the kill. 1965. 68 min. Video/C 9740 [also on DVD 3911, Disc 1 without English subtitles]

Description from Documentary Educational Resources

Bibliography of articles/books about Rouch

Lorang's Way (Turkana Conversations; 1).

A multifaceted portrait of Lorang, a prosperous member of the Turkana tribe, seminomadic, isolated herders who inhabit the dry thorn country of northwestern Kenya, to whom the possession of livestock represents wealth. A film by David MacDougall. c1977. 69 min. DVD 3116; also VHS Video/C 2430

Description from Berkeley Media LLC catalog

David and Judith MacDougall bibliography

Les Maitres Fous (The Mad Masters

This film documents the Haouka cult, a religious movement which was widespread in Niger and Ghana from the 1920's to the 1950's. Shows them living and working in Accra and participating in a primitive tribal ceremony. A film by Jean Rouch. 1986?. 29 min. Video/C 3460 [also on DVD 3911, Disc 1 without English subtitles]

Description from Documentary Educational Resources catalog

Bibliography of articles/books about Rouch

Making Maasai Men: Growing Courage Toward Circumcision

One aspect of traditional Maasai culture that remains central to the passage from boyhood to manhood is circumcision. It is a physical and psychological ordeal that Maasai boys look forward to and also dread. This remarkable ethnographic documentary explores the complex meanings of masculinity and Maasai ethnicity, and the place of circumcision and its attendant rituals in their cultural construction. Filmed in 1998, shows an actual circumcision ceremony. Producer, videographer, editor, Barbara G. Hoffman. 2006. DVD X3271

Berkeley Media LLC catalog description

Mammy Water: In Search of the Water Spirits in Nigeria.

Film features Mammy Water (a water deity worshipped in Nigeria) rituals and interviews devotees and their leaders. 1991? 59 min. Video/C 2360

Description from Berkeley Media LLC catalog

Marriage of Marimu = Arusi ya Mariamu.

Dramatization reflecting traditional African cultural patterns, focusing on healing with herbal remedies. c1985. 36 min. Video/C 3580

Maasai Women

The Maasai, a prosperous society of animal herders whose sustenence and wealth is their cattle, live primarily in the Rift Valley between Kenya and Tanzania. Women tend the cattle, bring up the children, clean mud from the village when it rains, and belong to a man's estate. This film highlights the Maasai female's rights of passage from childhood to old age, and her lot in life as she is tied to the fortunes of not only husbands but sons as well. Since they alone can give birth, the women see themselves as important contributors to their husband's wealth and develop close supportive relationships with the co-wives. In this society, if a man is rich, "it's his wives who made him so." Originally produced for the television series, Disappearing World by Granada Television International in 1974. Produced in 1980 on PBS as an episode in the television series Odyssey. The original Granada Television version of Maasai women was made by researcher and anthropologist Melissa Llewelyn-Davies. The Odyssey version of Maasai women was made by adding scenes from the original Granada Television footage. Dist.: Documentary Educational Resources. 59 min. DVD X6664

Mbeni: Dance of the Akamba

Mbeni dance, performed by the Akamba community of Kenya is renowned for its fast paced and precise movements that are prompted by heavy drumming and terse instructions by the dance leader, referred to as ngumii. Adapted from ancient dances, it was given a facelift by soldiers returning from serving in the World War II, injecting into it many military characteristics including marching, saluting, shouting of instructions, shooting demonstrations, etc. Director-producer, Charles Muthini. c2007. 23 min. DVD 9075

The Mende (Disappearing World).

Documentary on the life and customs of the Mende, West African people of the rain forests of southern Sierra Leone and adjacent parts of Liberia. c1991. 51 min. DVD 7124 [preservation]; vhs Video/C 3431

A Month for the Entertainment of Spirits: African-Guyanese Spiritualist Ceremonies

Documents the rituals practiced by Blacks who follow the "cumfa" religion, which is based on dancing, drumming, and spirit possession and is influenced by African and Christian traditions. During August (the month in which Guyanese slaves were emancipated), descendants of Yoruba ex-slaves engage in libation ceremonies to communicate with their ancestors. Three other ceremonies are also documented. 1991. 29 min. DVD 8212 [preservation copy]; vhs Video/C MM793

N!ai, the Story of a !Kung Woman.

A compilation of footage of the !Kung people of Namibia from 1951 through 1978. Focuses on the changes in the life of these people as seen through the reflections of one woman, N!ai. A film by John Marshall and Adrienne Miesmer. Camera, John Marshall, Ross McElwee, Mark Erder ; field anthropologist, Patricia Draper ; consulting anthropologists and translators, Marjorie Shostak, et al. 1980. 60 min. DVD X1402; vhs Video/C 259

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Description from Documentary Educational Resources catalog

John Marshall bibliography

Naked Spaces: Living is Round.

Exquisitely photographed, rich in detail and texture this film explores the daily rhythms and ritual life in the rural environment of six West African countries. This sensuous and philosophical journey explicitly challenges documentary and ethnographic film language, throwing into question prevailing formulas for visual ethnographic studies. 1985. 135 min. Video/C 6235

Trinh Minh-ha bibliography

The Nandi Immortality

The Nandi subtribe is from the wider Kalenjin community found in the Rift Valley region of Kenya. This film captures the events which take place the day before Nandi circumcision rites, the circumcision and what follows after the ceremony. It shows the process through which the candidates pass, songs and dances used during the ceremony which is attended by all men, women and children. 18 min. 2006. DVD 9468

Nawi

Depicts a segment of the life of the Jie, a seminomadic people from northeastern Uganda. Follows their move to northwestern Kenya during the dry seasons from their homestead to a temporary camp (nawi) where grass is plentiful for their cattle. Shows preparations for the 60-mile trip and scenes from the slow journey, including herding cattle, bathing at the waterhole, resting under trees, and spending the evening within a thornbush kraal. Produced and directed by David MacDougall. 1970. 23 min. DVD X3286

Berkeley Media LLC catalog description

David and Judith MacDougall bibliography

Ndumo: Dance of the Agikuyu

The Agikuyu community is endowed with a rich cultural heritage in which music and dance is highly valued. Ndumo, an integral part of this heritage is strictly a girls' dance and was originally performed during the times of plenty harvests in special arenas known as ihaaro. This dance facilitated courtship for the girls thus they were expected to be morally upright and exhibit the best dancing and singing skills. 2006. 28 min. DVD 9076

The Nuer.

Presents the most important relationships and events in the lives of the Nuer, Nilotic people in Sudan and on the Ethiopian border. Demonstrates the vital significance of cattle and their central importance in all Nuer thought and behavior. Includes extensive use of Nuer music and poetry. Produced by Hilary Harris, George Bridenbach and Robert Gardner. 1971. 75 min. DVD 5495; vhs Video/C 3398

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Description from Documentary Educational Resources catalog

Robert Gardner bibliography

N/um Tchai: The Ceremonial Dance of the !Kung Bushmen (!Kung San series).

Documents a formalized Bushman curing ceremony in the Kalahari Desert area of South West Africa by showing an all-night n/um tchai (medicine dance) in which a number of men go into trance and exercise special curing powers. Divided into two parts: the first reviews and explains typical dance scenes; the second shows the ceremony without narration. A film by John Marshall. 1969. 20 min. Video/C 3421

Description from Documentary Educational Resources

John Marshall bibliography

Orphans of Passage (Disappearing Worlds series)

For five years, the Uduk people of southern Sudan have fled civil war and domestic strife. In 1988, they were attacked by Sudanese government forces and escaped to Ethiopia. When the Ethiopian government fell, they were caught up in another brutal conflict. Since then, they have crossed the Sudanese-Ethiopian border five times seeking safe haven. Along the way they lost possessions, children, and a way of life, but in the midst of the horror, they found a new understanding of who they are, and a new religion--Christianity. Producer/director, Bruce MacDonald ; anthropologist, Wendy James. c1993. DVD 7811 [preservation copy]; vhs Video/C 3437

Patterns of Subsistance: Hunter-Gatherers and Pastoralists

This is the first of a two-part examination of various subsistance patterns. Selected roles among the Kung, the Mbuti and the Nuer of Africa, the Netsilik Eskimos, and the Basseri of Iran are used to illustrate the patterns and relationships. 1983. 30 min. Video/C 577

Pygmies of the Rain Forest

Details the everyday life of the Mbuti Pygmies in the remote Ituri Forest of Zaire, Africa whose mode of living has remained essentially unchanged for thousands of years. As nomads they grow no crops but instead utilize all of the resources of the forest for their daily needs: the building of shelters, creation of clothing, food gathering and hunting. Producer, director, and writer, Kevin Duffy. 1976. 51 min. Video/C 4723

Rivers of Sand

Portrays the people called the Hamar who live in the scrubland of southwestern Ethiopia. Points out that in this society, men are masters and women are slaves. Shows how this sexual inequality affects the mood and behavior of the people. A film by Robert Gardner. Originally produced as a motion picture in 1973. 83 min. DVD 5507; Video/C 4485

Description from Documentary Educational Resources catalog

Bender, Lionel. "Rivers of Sand." American Anthropologist Vol. 79, No. 1 (Mar., 1977), pp. 196-197 UC users only

Lydall, Jean; Strecker, Ivo. "A Critique Of Lionel Bender's Review Of Rivers of Sand." American Anthropologist, New Series, Vol. 80, No. 4 (Dec., 1978), pp. 945-946 UC users only

Loizos, Peter. "Robert Gardner's Rivers of Sand: Towards a Reappraisal." In: Fields of vision : essays in film studies, visual anthropology, and photography / edited by Leslie Devereaux and Roger Hillman. Berkeley : University of California Press, c1995. (Main (Gardner) Stacks; Moffitt PN1994 .F433 1995)

Robert Gardner bibliography

Sangoma.

In South Africa, traditional healers have always been regarded with suspicion by practitioners of Western medicine. New efforts to integrate traditional healers into primary health care, nutritional education, and AIDS work holds some promise for a public health system under siege. 1996. 54 min. Video/C 4635

Séance Reflections

Njebe and Martha, a couple from Gaborone, Botswana, have tried various medical interventions to determine the reason why they remain childless. They decide to consult a charismatic diviner and healer in Njebe's birth village, Moremi. In reviewing portions of their filmed séances with ethnographer Richard Werbner, the couple are moved by the diviner's revelations about their intimate lives, but are puzzled by the diviner's rapid recital of highly ambiguous, archaic verse, his leading them in chants of call and response, and his preaching against Christianity and for restored communication with the ancestors, leaving the couple doubting the healing treatment. A film by Richard Werbner. 2004. 45 min. DVD X5575

Shade Seekers

Dr. Richard Werbner returns to Moremi village in the Tswapong hills of Botswana to follow-up on an earlier film "Séance reflections," with the subject of that previous film as research assistant. Discusses the idea of 'serti' which literally means shade, the idea that power, dignity and charisma are tied to the light in which a person is seen by others, especially ones ancestors. The controversial healer seen in the séance sequences of the previous film is accused of polluting the earth by wrongly mixing Christian and non-Christian and doing so for personal gain, as he defends his God-given mission for "the original way." A film by Richard Werbner. 2005. 57 min. DVD X5577

Simba

Records Martin and Osa Johnson's expedition to East Africa, the chief purpose of which was to capture on film rapidly disappearing African wildlife as well as East African peoples (Samburu, Dorobo, etc.) and their customs. Includes extensive footage of elephants, giraffes and lions. Also shown is the lion-spearing ceremony perfomed by the Lumbwa (part of this sequence was filmed by Carl Akeley and Alfred J. Klein). The film opens with an introduction by Martin and Osa Johnson. Originally released in 1928. Filmed in East Africa during the second Martin Johnson African Expedition, 1923-1928. Introduction recorded in New York, ca. 1932. 83 min. Video/C 7326

Sons of the Moon: Ngas of Central Nigeria.

Tells how the moon is a key symbol in the cosmology of the Ngas, an agricultural people who live in isolated hamlets in Nigeria's Jos Plateau. This documentary, told from the point of view of a traditional Ngas bard, traces the moon's influence on Ngas work and thought during a single growing season. c1984. 25 min. Video/C MM562

Sorcerers of Zaire.

Explores the life of the rural Chokwe tribe of southwestern Zaire, where hardship and starvation are a way of life. To assure that their modest food supply is distributed fairly, the Chokwe use a complex system of reprisals in which sorcerers are hired to resurrect ancestral ghosts to haunt those who hoard goods, causing them sickness and death. Focuses on four patients and two healers, following them through their traditional medical treatments. Also shows the rigorous initiation ritual in which masked dancers help prepare boys for manhood. 1993. 51 min. Video/C 5003

Strange Beliefs. (Strangers Abroad)

Sir Edward Evans-Pritchard was the first trainedanthropologist to do work in Africa, where he lived among the Azande in Zaire and studied their belief in witchcraft and later worked with the Neur tribe in the Sudan. 1990. 52 min. DVD X2293; Video/C 3856

To Live with Herds: A Dry Season Among the Jie

Filmed during the pre-Amin era in the Karamoja District, northeastern Uganda, this documentary looks at life in a traditional Jie homestead during a particularly harsh, dry season. To the Jie, cattle are the source of all happiness, providing security and order in an uncertain and often hostile environment, hence the age-old blessing, "May you always live with herds." Produced and directed by David MacDougall. 1971. 70 min. DVD X3285

Berkeley Media LLC catalog description

Gulliver, P. H. "To Live with Herds." American Anthropologist, Volume 75, Issue 2 (April 1973) Pages: 597-598 UC users only

David and Judith MacDougall bibliography

Tribal Religions (Les Religions Tribales; Religiones Tribales)

Hans Kung travels to Australia to investigate the beliefs of today's Aborigines through body painting, music and dance. He then journeys to Africa to gain insights into tribal culture through modern rites that include torchlight processions, dance, and animal sacrifice. The influence of Christian missionaries is also examined. 56 min. Video/C 9676

Tug of War

A short segment of film showing !Kung boys in two teams play tug of war with a length of rubber hose. Directed by John Marshall. Photographed on a 1957-58 expedition sponsored by the Peabody Museum of Harvard University at the Smithsonian Institute. Originally produced in 1974. 6 min. DVD X3292

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John Marshall bibliography

Turkana Conversations Trilogy.

. These three documentaries on the Turkana - a relatively isolated semi-nomadic herders who inhabit the dry country of northwestern Kenya--are among the most important and influential ethnographic films of the last 20 years. (1)Lorang's Way. A Portrait of the head of the homestead and one of the important senior men of the Turkana. 69 min. DVD 3116; also on VHS Video/C 2430. (2)The Wedding Camels. The marriage of one of Lorang's daughters. 108 min. DVD 3117; also on VHS Video/C 2431 (3)A Wife Among Wives. An investigation of how the Turkana, and especially the women, view marriage. Produced by Judith MacDougall, David MacDougall. c1977. 68 min. DVD 3118; also on VHS Video/C 2432

Wedding Camels - Description from Berkeley Media LLC catalog

Lorang's Way - Description from Berkeley Media LLC catalog

A Wife Among Wives - Description from Berkeley Media LLC catalog

David and Judith MacDougall bibliography

Warrior Marks.

A film by Alice Walker and Pratibha Parmar. A poetic and political film about female genital mutilation. Includes interviews with women from Senegal, Burkina Faso, Gambia, the United States, and England. 1993. 54 min. Video/C 3348

Women Make Movies catalog description

Walker, Alice. Warrior Marks: Female Genital Mutilation and the Sexual Blinding of Women / Alice Walker and Pratibha Parmar. 1st ed. New York: Harcourt Brace, c1993.(UCB Bancroft GN484 .W35 1993; UCB Grad Svcs XMAC.W18.W37 Modern Authors Collection; UCB Main GN484 .W35 1993; UCB Moffitt GN484 .W35 1993)

ABC-CLIO Video Rating Guide for Libraries

Grewal, Inderpal Kaplan, Caren. "Warrior Marks: Global Womanism's Neo-Colonial Discourse in a Multicultural Context." Camera Obscura 5-11, September 1996

Hamilton, Amy. "Warrior Marks." (includes related articles) off our backs v23, n11 (Dec, 1993):2 (5 pages).

James, Stanlie M. "Shades of Othering: Reflections on Female Circumcision/Genital Mutilation." Signs, Summer 1998 v23 i4 p1031(1) UC users only

Minor, Diane. "Warrior Marks: Joyous Resistance at Walker Film Debut." (documentary film by Alice Walker) National N O W Times v26, n2 (Jan, 1994):7.

Simonds, Cylena. "Missing the Mark." (female mutilation in movie 'Warrior Marks') Afterimage v21, n8 (March, 1994):3.

The Wedding Camels (Turkana Conversations; 2).

Shows the preparations for the wedding of the daughter of Lorang, one of the senior men of the region. Explores the quarrels and customs which surround the wedding. Produced by Judith MacDougall,David MacDougall. c1976. 108 min. DVD 3118; also on VHS Video/C 2432

Description from Berkeley Media LLC catalog

Blount, Ben G. "Turkana Conversations Trilogy." American Anthropologist Volume 86. Issue 3. September 1984 (Pages 803 - 806)UC users only

"The Wedding Camels." Journal of American Folklore, Jan-Mar1984, Vol. 97 Issue 383, p116-117, 2p UC users only

David and Judith MacDougall bibliography

A Wife Among Wives(Turkana Conversations; 3).

An ethnographic documentary on the Turkana of northern Kenya. This is an inquiry into the Turkana view of marriage. Produced by Judith MacDougall, David MacDougall. c1981. 68 min. DVD 3118; also on Video/C 2432

Description from Berkeley Media LLC catalog

David and Judith MacDougall bibliography

Womanhood and Circumcision: Three Maasai Women Have Their Say

This thought-provoking documentary sensitively explores the cultural context of female genital-cutting practices among the Maasai. A mother and her two daughters discuss their feelings about circumcision (excision) and its meaning in their lives from different perspectives. Alice, a young woman, looks back eleven years to the time when she became a woman. Sikaine, a shy, 14-year-old, enjoys the attention of her family and community as she anticipates undergoing the procedure, which she has seen performed on other girls. Tipaya, the mother, is a post-menopausal woman who remembers her surgery from several decades back. 31 min. DVD X3250

Description from Berkeley Media LLC catalog

Women of Manga (Niger- Africa).

Program is devoted to the women of a warrior tribe whose origin is ancient but unknown and which lives today in eastern Niger. Focuses on the traditions including the complicated painting, hairstyles, facial scars and jewelry. c1992. 12 min. Video/C 3025

The Women's Olamal: The Organisation of a Maasai Fertility Ceremony.

Film examines the events that lead up to a fertility ceremony of the Maasai women in Loita, Kenya. Explanations and insights into the significance of the ceremony are in the form of interviews with the women themselves. Director, Melissa Llewelyn-Davies. 199-?. 114 min. Video/C 3726

Loizes, Peter. "The Women's Olamal." In: Innovation in ethnographic film : from innocence to self-consciousness, 1955-85 / Peter Loizos. Chicago : University of Chicago Press, 1993. (Anthropology GN347 .L65 1993)

Yoruba Crafts

Short clip from field recording by UC Berkeley anthropologist William Bascom. 1950-1951. 4:03 min.

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Latin America and the Caribbean

Alejandro Mamani: A Case Study in Culture and Personality

Alejandro Mamani, an elderly Bolivian Aymara Indian, is the subject of this ethnographic study of mental illness and the approach of death. Did he go mad or did he simply make use of accepted social mechanisms of his culture to relinquish his life? Also examined is the ethical dilemma faced by the ethnographers. 1983. 29 min. Video/C MM6

Amazon Journal

Presents a chronicle of political events in the Brazilian Amazon, beginning with the assassination of Chico Mendes in 1988 and ending with the massacre of Yanomami Indians in 1993. Analyzes the complex interaction between semi-isolated indigenous societies and "outsiders." Includes exclusive sequences of the events surrounding the massacre of a village, the demarcation of Kayapo Territory, and the rock star Sting's frank assessment of his own involvement in rain forest politics. A film by Geoffrey O'Connor. 1995. 58 min. DVD X7100; Video/C 9561

Description from First Filmakers Library catalog

Amazonia, Voices From the Rain Forest.

Reviews the ecology of the rainforest, the indigenous indians attitudes towards the forest and their increasing concern for its protection as the fragile ecosystem is threatened with destruction by outside commercial developers. 1991. 69 min. Video/C 2564

Appeals to Santiago

Describes an eight-day Mayan Indian fiesta in Tenejapa, Mexico held in honor of one of the town's patron saints, James. Narration consists of the participants own explanation of events and their personal duties and offerings during the festival. Produced by Duane Metzger and Carter Wilson for the University of California, Irvine. 1969. 28 min. Video/C MM775

At the Edge of Conquest: The Journey of Chief Wai-Wai

Looks at the situation of the Waiapi Indians, a small isolated tribe that came in contact with the outside world in the late 1970's. Today they are threatened by gold miners, by the Brazilian government's proposal to reduce their land by 10% and a plan to construct a highway through their territory. This film focuses on their charismatic leader, Chief Wai-Wai as he travels from his remote village to Brazil's capitol hoping to shape the destiny of his people. 1992. 28 min. Video/C 9562

Description from First Filmakers Library catalog

The Ax Fight.

A four-part analysis of a fight in a Yanomamo Indian village between local descent groups. Includes an unedited record of the event; a slow-motion replay of the fight; a discussion of the kinship structure of the fight; and an edited version. Producers/directors, Timothy Asch, Napoleon A. Chagnon. c1975. 30 min. DVD X1403; vhs Video/C 3425

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Description from Documentary Educational Resources catalog

Timothy Asch bibliography

The Aymara: A Case Study in Social Stratification

This documentary explores the economic and social stratification of heterogeneous Northern Bolivia. The inequities of a sharp class division between the Spanish-speaking mestizos and the Aymara Indians of Bolivia is examined. 1983. 29 min. DVD 7379 [preservation copy]; vhs Video/C MM2

Banderani

Documents an important festival among the Quechua Indians in the Bolivian Andes. Captures the music, dancing, and drinking associated with the festivities and shows an unusual slingshot game in which both men and women participate. Produced and directed by Jeanine Moret. 1987. 28 min. Video/C MM592

Before We Knew Nothing: With the Ashaninka of Eastern Peru

A portrait of the life and culture of the Ashaninka (also called the Campa), who inhabit the Amazon rainforest of eastern Peru, as well as a profound reflection on the experience of living and filming among people who continue to resist acculturation. Filmmaker, Diane Kitchen, spent seven months living with the Ashaninka. Her camera reveals the activities of men and women, the lush tropical environment, and the emotional climate of daily life. 1989. 62 min. Video/C 4358

Birth and Belief in the Andes of Ecuador

Covers women's beliefs and traditional medicine surrounding pregnancy and childbirth in Ecuador through intimate portraits of four Andean women. Deprived until recently of modern medical care, rural Andean women have managed their reproductive practices by relying on an ethnomedical system that retains pre-Columbian magical elements. c1994. 28 min. Video/C MM816

Capoeira Bahia.

Dance master Bira Almeida and his students demonstrate various forms of the Capoeira, a unique martial arts dance developed in Brazil by African descendants 400 years ago. Includes historical segments of performances by Capoeira dancers plus instruction in basic movements of the dance. 1983. 70 min. Video/C 4332

Caribbean Eye

1991. 26 min. each installment (unless otherwise noted)

Community Celebrations: Other Caribbean Festivals. This program takes a look at the various folk festivals (other than carnivals) throughout the Caribbean area which help create and sustain a sense of community in a region with a culturally diverse population: the Hindu festival of Phagwa in Trinidad and Guyana; the La Rose and La Marguerite flower festivals in St. Lucia; the Johnkunnoo of Jamaica, Belize and the Bahamas; Masquerade in Guyana and St. Kitts and the Hosein festivals of Trinidad and Jamaica. Video/C 9805

Caribbean Carnivals. This program shows the Trinidad Carnival and then visits carnivals in Dominica, Grenada, St. Vincent, St. Kitts, Antigua, St. Lucia, Barbados, Jamaica and Martinique, looking at their unique forms and examining their shared role which is essentially the liberation of the spirit. DVD 9813; also on VHS Video/C 9813

The Games We Play Like children everywhere, Caribbean children grow up singing and playing games which shape the attitudes and expectations of their roles in later life. This program looks at some of the games Caribbean children play, as well as adult games, such as draughts in Barbados, dominoes in Dominica, All Fours in Trinidad, Warri in Antigua, and cricket, played all over the Caribbean region. Video/C 9815

Carnaval: Adios a la Carne.

Presents a documentary concerning a religious festival held by the people of Humahuaca, Argentina. VHS format (PAL) In Spanish without subtitles. 199-? 27 min. Video/C MM526

Carnival in Q'eros

Shows the remarkable carnival celebrations of a remote community of Quechusa Indians high in the Peruvian Andes. The Q'eros play flutes and sing to their alpacas in a ritual to promote the animals' fertility. The film shows how the music evolves from individual, to family, to ayllu, to community, a structure of spiritual activity distinct from the structure of kinship. The Q'eros sing and play separately from each other, producing a heterophonic sound without rhythmic beat, harmony, or counterpoint -- a "chaotic" sound texture that exemplifies a key connection between the culture of the Andes and that of the Amazon jungle. Directed by Juan Nunez del Prado and John Cohen. Dist.: Berkeley Media. 1991. 32 min. DVD 7844

Carnaval in Salvador Da Bahia.

An anthropological journey to Brazil to study Carnaval. 1983. DVD 7420; vhs Video/C 2297

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Children's Magical Death.

In this film about the Yanomamo Indians who live near the headwaters of the Orinoco River in Southern Venezuela, a group of young Yanomamo Indian boys imitate a ritual performed by their fathers. They pretend to be shamans, blowing ashes into each other's noses and chanting to the spirits. 1974. Producers, Timothy Asch, Napoleon A. Chagnon. 8 min. Video/C 3426

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Description from Documentary Educational Resources catalog

Timothy Asch bibliography

The Chinampas.

Describes the Chinampa, a traditional Mexican agricultural system, and traces its long history. Shows modern day threats to this system and discusses measures to save the Chinampa. 1990. 31 min. Video/C MM908

Choqela: Only Interpretation

Anthropologists observe and attempt to interpret the Choqela (ritual hunt of the vicuna), an ancient ceremony of the Aymara people of the high Andes. A film by John Cohen. 1986. 12 min. DVD X3282

Berkeley Media LLC catalog description

Dancing with the Incas

Explores the lives of three Huayno musicians in a contemporary Peru torn between the military and the Shining Path guerrillas. The film examines the roots of Huayno music as well as its contemporary forms. Rather than focusing on a single community or ethnic group, the film investigates a broad cultural region and illustrates what happens to it as it confronts the commercial traditions and demands of the West. Camera, directed and produced by John Cohen. Dist.: Berkeley Media. 1991. 58 min. DVD 7845

Divine Horsemen: the Living Gods of Haiti.

Maya Deren's film chronicles a journey into the world of the Voudoun religion of Haiti. c1985. 52 min. Video/C 1924

Maya Deren bibliography

Dos vatos Mexico

A unique collection of mystical fiction and ethnographic films inspired by the beauty and indigenous magic of Oaxaca, México Day of the Dead (aka. Day of the dead in Teotilán del Valle): This documentary witnesses the return of Zapotec spirits to the pueblo. The smell of marigolds in the graveyard beckons them to enjoy tamales, mescal, and other sensory favorites of their living life. Directed and produced by Ari Palos, Eren McGinnis and José Mendoza ; narrated by José Mendoza (12 min., English, 2001) Bola de oro: Música del Istmo: Capturing the unique musical heritage of the Isthmus of Oaxaca, Bola de Oro was produced with acclaimed Istmeño musician and guitar virtuoso José Hinojosa. Produced by Ari Palos, Eren McGinnis and José Minojosa (9 min., Spanish with English subtitles, 200?) Kit Kat: A drama in which Kit Kat races to save her father's soul amidst the beauty and magic of Oaxaca. Directed by Ari Luis Palos, Eren Isabel McGinnis (14 min., Spanish with English subtitles, 2001) Guigu Bícunisa: Rio Los Perros (aka. Guigu Bícunisa: The Otter River): The Otter River: Produced in association with the Foro Ecologico de Juchitén, an environmental NGO, this mixed media ecological video was created by high school students and promotes the conservation of Juchitán's sacred river. The documentary had its premiere during a unique riverbed screening with 4,000 Juchitecans. Produced and directed by the Foro Ecológico de Juchitán, teacher Ari Palos in association with Dos Vatos Productions; screenwriter Jorge Antonia Garcia, animator Lenin DeGyvés Montero.(14 min., Spanish with English subtitles, 2004) c2010. 49 min. DVD X4272

Dream People of the Amazon: The Achuar

The Achuar people in southeast Ecuador live in a part of the Amazon rain forest as pristine today as it was a thousand years ago. In order to protect their rainforest from exploitation and avoid the environmental and cultural devastation suffered by their indigenous neighbors only a few hundred miles away, they have formed alliances with environmental protection agencies in the outside world seeking to gain official recognition as a bioreserve, closed to exploitation. Written, produced and directed by Lawrence M. Lansburgh. 2005. 32 min. DVD 6115

Eduardo the Healer

Presents the life and philosophy of Eduardo Calderon, a Peruvian folk healer. Includes his methods of diagnosis and a curing ceremony. Written and produced by Douglas G. Sharon and Richard Cowan; director, Richard Cowan. 1978. 54 min. Video/C 7666

Encyclopedie de la Mythologie Maya Yucateque: Les Labyrinthes Sonores.

Contents: Tome 4, 6-7. H-wan tul. Le Way kot. Les arouches: La Harana ou danse des bouviers (6 min.); Carnaval Maya (8 min.); Sevillane pour un cochon defunt (22 min); Une conversation avec Juan Kob (11 min.). -- Tome 8:1. Chak, pluie et ses chevaux, Pt. 1: Pourquoi chanter la pluie? (20 min.); Variations sur un theme de pluie (32 min.); Le Bolon ixim, divination Maya (15 min.) -- Tome 8:2. Chak, pluie et ses chevaux, Pt. 2: Chanter et danser la pluie qui tombe (88 min.); Chevaux de pluie (46 min.); Boisson de l'arbre secret (4 min.); L'art du faiseur (20 min.); Une visite (8 min.). In French, Maya, and Spanish (without subtitles). 1997. PAL format. Video/C 5516

The Feast

Examines the first stages of alliance formation between two mutually hostile Yanomamo Indian villages in southern Venezuela and northern Brazil. Describes in detail the preparations for a feast involving the inhabitants of the villages and presents scenes of chanting, dancing, and trading at the feast. Producers, Timothy Asch, Napoleon Chagnon. 1988. 1970. 29 min. Video/C 7649

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Description from Documentary Educational Resources catalog

Kensinger, Kenneth M. "Review: The Feast." American Anthropologist, New Series, Vol. 73, No. 2 (Apr., 1971), pp. 500-502UC users only

Timothy Asch bibliography

A Festa da Moca (The Girl's Party).

Showcases how the Nambiquara people in Brazil's far northwest are using video to revive waning cultural practices. Narration in English with Nambiquara dialogue and Portuguese credits. 1988. 18 min. Video/C 4288

The Healer in the Indigenous Communities of the Highlands of Chiapas (El curandero en los pueblos indigenas de los altos de Chiapas)

A documentary of how a Mayan healer is called upon by people in the community to cure the sick. The healer reveals his Mayan healing practices--a combination of indigenous rituals and Christianity. c2000. 34 min. Video/C MM850

The Huichols: History, Culture, Art

The Huichols, who live in the western Sierra Madre of central Mexico, are best known for their peyote rituals, their shamanistic practices, and their colorful, intricate textiles. However, like many indigenous peoples, the Huichols have no written history. The continuation of their culture depends on the vitality of their oral traditions. Rosalio "Chilio" Rivera Sanches and Luis Gonzales Carrio, from the small village of Las Guayabas, are working to preserve the oral traditions and histories of their people. They share some of the history, culture, traditional tales, and art of the Huichols. Director, Ryan Noble. c1996. 27 min. Video/C MM796

Ika Hands.

Shows the daily life of a small group of Ika Indians who live in the highlands of Northern Colombia who are thought to be survivors of the Mayans. They live a strenuous and isolated life in terrain extending between five and fifteen thousand feet, economically dependent on small gardens and domestic animals. A film by Robert Gardner. 1988. 58 min. DVD 5509

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Description from Documentary Educational Resources catalog

Allen, Catherine. "Ika Hands (review)" American Anthropologist Volume 92. Issue 4. December 1990 (Pages 1105 - 1108) UC users only

Robert Gardner bibliography

Inca Cola

Documents how the Inca are the "invisible" city dwellers of modern Peru. Their ancestors created a self-sufficient agricultural society, but those skills have been lost in the migration to cities and hopeless poverty. Looks at their life in Lima and how some regard this as the center for a modern Inca revival. 1987. 30 min. DVD 6873 [preservation copy]; vhs Video/C 9947

Jaguar: a Yanomamo Twin Cycle Myth as Told by Daramasiwa

The richness of Yanomamo mythology is revealed by a Yanomamo storyteller. The myth is that of a Jaguar: Long ago, Curare woman tasted bitter, so Jaguar did not eat her. Curare woman hid her pregnant daughter in the roof above Jaguar's hammock, and sent Jaguar far away to hunt. One day Jaguar smelled her and smashed the daughter to the ground, killing her. Curare woman took the daughter's twin fetuses and hid them in a bark container, where they became hekura spirits. When they grew to be men and became "aware", they sought revenge. Through cunning and with an arrow obtained from the sky's edge, they succeeded in killing Jaguar. a film by Timothy Asch and Napoleon Chagnon. 1976. 22 min. DVD X3295

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Description from Documentary Educational Resources catalog

Timothy Asch bibliography

Jane Moroita: Our Celebrations.

The filmaker, a member of the Waiapi tribe of Brazil, demonstrates the use of videotape to record and preserve the "image" of the Waiapi culture. Three tribal celebrations are shown with running commentary by the filmaker. 33 min. Video/C 4547

The JVC Video Anthology of World Music and Dance. (The Americas II, Mexico, Cuba, Bolivia, Argentina)

Presents on film examples of music and dance from the Americas documented by accompanying text written by area specialists. 57 min. Video/C 3541

Kantik'i Maishi (Songs of Sorghum).

This documentary is about the sorghum harvest celebrations that take place in Curacao and Bonaire and the changes that have taken place over the last few centuries. In English and Papiamento with English subtitles. 58 min. Video/C 6185

The Kayapo: Out of the Forest. (Disappearing World).

Documents the opposition of the Kayapo Indians of central Brazil to the construction of a hydroelectric dam at Altamira. Includes the demonstration by 600 Kayapo against the proposed dam and their success in stopping its construction. 52 min. DVD 7810 [preservation copy]; vhs Video/C 3436

Keep the River on Your Right: A Modern Cannibal Tale

In 1955, Tobias Schneebaum disappeared into the depths of the Peruvian Amazon. He had no guide, no map and the vague instruction to keep the river on his right. A year later he emerged from the jungle ... naked, covered in body paint, and a modern-day cannibal. Now, 45 years after his original visit, he is reunited with the very tribesmen he both loved and who gave him nightmares for nearly half a century. Also includes footage of Schneebaum giving lectures about art and tribal homosexuality among the Asmat, a tribe in Indonesian New Guinea. Special DVD features: Deleted scenes; photo/sketch gallery with original artwork by Tobias Schneebaum; original color illustrations by Tobias Schneebaum from the children's; book "Jungle Journey"; filmmaker biographies; Tobias Schneebaum biography. Directors, David Shapiro, Laurie Gwen Shapiro. 2000. 94 min. DVD X3973; Video/C 9199

Description from Documentary Educational Resources catalog

The Last of the Hiding Tribes.

A record filmed over 30 years, 1967-1998. Co-Producer/cameraman, Vicente Rios; director, Adrian Cowell.

Pt. 1, The Fate of the Kidnapper. In 1979 the Brazilian government gave Chico Prestes a plot of land in the state of Rondonia, in the Western Amazon, in an area regularly hunted by the unknown Uru Eu Wau Wau tribe. One day Chico returned from the forest to find two sons killed and the youngest taken by the Indians. The resulting 18-year quest to determine the fate of this son highlights the Amazon as a battleground between Indians and invading colonists. 50 min. Video/C 6627

Pt. 2, The Return From Extinction. This film tells the remarkable recent history of the hiding Panara tribe, who fled into the deepest part of the Amazon forest. Through extraordinary footage from the 1960's, this film shows Claudio Villas Boas and his team from Brazil's Indian Protection Service as they make the first attempts to contact the Panara before a planned development road exposes them to 'civilization.' In spite of Claudio's efforts after the road is built, the tribe is virtually wiped out by diseases so with the aid of his brother Orlando, Claudio manages to fly 79 survivors out to the Xingu National Park. Now, after 20 years, the Brazilian government has recognized the Panara's claim to their ancestral homeland, and they are going back home. 50 min. Video/C 6628

Pt. 3, Fragments of People. In 1983 four members of the Ava-Canoeiro tribe were contacted by a settler in the Serra de Mesa and taken into care by Brazil's Indian Agency. When the only woman of child-bearing age in this small remnant group gave birth to twins, the Indian Agency's Department for Unknown People began a search for another group of Ava-Canoeiro, rumored to be out in the scrubland, to provide potential mates for the two children so the tribe would not be doomed to extinction. 50 min. Video/C 6629

Little Injustices (Odyssey series)

Anthropologist Laura Nader compares the resolution of everyday legal complaints as conducted in a small Zapotec Indian village and in the United States. Studies are based on a 10-year study of 5000 consumer complaints. She discusses the legal procedures and remedies, and comments on the problems of impersonal law. 59 min. DVD 9277; Video/C 273

Description from Documentary Educational Resources catalog

Magical Death.

The film is a vivid portrayal of shamanic activity, as well as an exploration of the close connection between politics and shamanism in Yanomamo culture. Directed and narrated by Napoleon A. Chagnon 30 min. Video/C 3725

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A Man and His Wife Weave a Hammock: Moawa and Daeyama Make a Hammock.

In this film about the Yanomamo Indians who live near the headwaters of the Orinoco River in Southern Venezuela, a Yanomama Indian headman weaves a hammock while his wife and baby watch. Producers, Timothy Asch, Napoleon A. Chagnon. Originally produced as motion picture by Pennsylvania State University in 1973. 9 min. Video/C 3422

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Description from Documentary Educational Resources catalog

Timothy Asch bibliography

A Man Called Bee: Studying the Yanomamo

Follows anthropologist Napoleon Chagnon as he collects anthropological field data among the Yanomamo Indians of southern Venezuela. Includes considerable information about the Yanomamo, such as their system of kinship ties, their religious beliefs and ceremonies, and the growth and fissioning of their widely scattered villages. 1975. 42 min. Video/C 9949

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Description from Documentary Educational Resources catalog

Mead, Margaret. "A Man Called Bee." American Anthropologist Volume 78, Issue 4, Date: December 1976, Pages: 950-950 UC users only

Mapuche: "People of the Earth"

Documentary on the history of the Mapuche people of Chile told through archival photographs and the testimonies and experiences of the elders and Mapuche youth. The focus is on the struggle for the preservation of the Mapuche culture, their focus on environmentalism, and their current day efforts to preserve their cultural heritage. Video production, Leila Salazar and Ariel López. Written, produced and directed by Regina Harrison. A project in collaboration with Pachamama Conservation and Mapuche communities of southern Chile." -- Closing credits. Presented at the International Latino Film Festival held in the San Francisco Bay Area. 2005? 9 min. DVD X7048

Ragiñ Epu Mapu: Voices of the Elders and the Youth

María Lionza: Orchid's Breath (María Lionza: aliento de orquídeas)

According to legend, the native princess Maria Lionza was kidnapped by an anaconda. The story lives on to this day, and she is still widely worshipped in Venezuela. Believers still practice rituals rooted in traditional Venezuelan society, hoping to find spiritual guidance in the process. In cinéma vérité style, this documentary follows several individuals as they journey to the mountain, where they will worship several icons of Maria Lionza. With the help of songs, stimulants, dance and liquor, the devotees hope to contact the spirit of the princess. Directed by John Patrizzeli. 2006. 82 min. DVD X6975

Mined to Death

Depicts the lives and work of miners in Potosí, Bolivia, who extract silver, zinc, and lead from the same mountain their ancestors mined five centuries ago. Documents how the mine is central to life in Potosí and how tourism in the region promises to bring in additional revenue to compensate for the 'dying' mountain. 2005. 41 min. DVD X3272

Berkeley Media LLC catalog description

Mosori Monika

A documentary about two contrasting cultures. Spanish Franciscan Missionaries went to Venezuela in 1945 to civilize the Warrau Indians, who live on the Orinoco River Delta in relative isolation. On the surface the relationship between the Indians and the missionaries is simple, however the life- style of the Warrau Indians has been permanently altered. Photography, editing, direction, Chick Strand ; produced by Colin Young. 1970. 20 min. Video/C MM1210

Henley, Paul "The origins of observational cinema : conversations with Colin Young." In: Memories of the origins of ethnographic film / Beate Engelbrecht (ed.). Frankfurt am Main ; New York : Peter Lang, 2007. (Main (Gardner) Stacks GN347 M46 2007)

MacDougall, David. "Colin Young, Ethnographic Film and the Film Culture of the 1960s." Visual Anthropology Review Volume 17. Issue 2. September 2001 (Pages 81 - 88) UC users only

MacDougall, Judith

"Colin Young and running around with a camera / Judith MacDougall." In: Memories of the origins of ethnographic film / Beate Engelbrecht (ed.). Frankfurt am Main ; New York : Peter Lang, 2007. (Main (Gardner) Stacks GN347 M46 2007)

Young, Colin. "Observational Cinema." In: Principles of visual anthropology / edited by Paul Hockings. Berlin ; New York : Mouton de Gruyter, 2003. (Anthropology GN347 .P75 2003)

Mountain Music of Peru

A portrait of the folk music, culture and lifestyle of the people of Qeros, high in the Peruvian mountains. The musical thread that runs through the Andes extends back past the ancient culture of the Incas, and it is strong enough to have successfully resisted both the Spanish conquest and the forces of modern Western culture. This musical journey travels from small towns and remote mountain villages to the capital city of Lima, showing how Peru's popular music connects even the most isolated people. Written, narrated, produced and directed by John Cohen. Dist.: Berkeley Media. 1984. 59 min. DVD 7843

Moxos Mitico.

An anthropological documentary film examining the history, customs and environment of the Mojo Indians living in Moxos, Bolivia.1984. In Spanish. PAL format. 19 min. Video/C 5595

The Music of the Devil, The Music of the Bear, The Music of the Condor

Film visits the heart of the Andes to capture the atmosphere of the annual music festivals, showing ceremonies of the Aymara Indians who dress as devils, bears and sacred spirits that come to life at carnival time. The mythology of the powerful Inca gods is explained, as well as their influence in the daily lives of the Aymara. 54 min. Video/C 4366

Ñakaj: Fabula Andeium

Interviews and dramatizations tell the Peruvian story of the ~Nakaj, night prowlers who intoxicate their victims with sparkling dust so that their "essential" fat can be stolen. In Quechua with English subtitles and credits. c1993. 20 min. Video/C MM682

La Ofrenda: The Days of the Dead.

In Mexico, on the first days of November, the dead come to visit. They are received and given offerings of their favorite food, flowers, and momentos of their presence on earth. La Ofrenda takes a non-traditional look at the celebration in Mexico and the United States. A film by Lourdes Portillo. Dist.: Direct Cinema. 50 min. Video/C 1778

Lourdes Portillo bibliography

On Wings of Faith (En Alas de la Fe).

A visit to two festivals held in the North Sierra of Puebla, Mexico; one to honor Saint Michael the Archangel in the town of San Miguel Tzinacapan; the other for Saint Francis of Assisi in Cuetzalan. Mexican and mesoamerican dancers celebrate their oral traditions, magical medicine, petition for favors and give thanks to their patron saints through the medium of dance. 28 min. Video/C 4420

Para la comunidad, desde la comunidad

A documentary about the use of video technology and television by indigenous peoples in Bolivia to represent their culture and the reality of their lives to a national and international audience, and to further their aim of political self-determination. The efforts portrayed in the documentary were partially spurred by the opportunities for reform presented by the Asamblea Constituyente which began in Bolivia in 2006.Presented at the International Latino Film Festival held in the San Francisco Bay Area. A film by Mark Kendall. 2007. 14 min. DVD X3730

Peruvian Weaving: A Continuous Warp for 5,000 Years

Dr. Junius Bird of the American Museum of Natural History traces the beginnings of the Peruvian weaving tradition back to a preceramic period. Continuing in the present, three generations of modern Quechua speakers are shown using a warp pattern technique on both back strap and four stake looms. 1980. 25 min. DVD X3261

Berkeley Media LLC catalog description

Quechua (Disappearing World.)

The Quechua Indians live in the Andes Mountains, in an isolated part of Peru. Unlike many tribes in remote areas, they desperately want a road to link them with the outside world and its benefits, especially the tourist trade. 51 min. DVD 7813 [preservation copy]; vhs Video/C 3439

Quilombo Country

Provides a portrait of rural communities in Brazil that were either founded by runaway slaves or began from abandoned plantations. This type of community is known as a "Quilombo", from an Angolan word that means "encampment." As many as 2,000 quilombos exist today. Written, directed, photographed, and edited by Leonard Abrams. 2006. 75 min. DVD 7851

Ao redor do Brasil: aspectos do interior e das fronteiras brasileiras

In 1917, director Major Luiz Thomaz Reis travels with his associate and cinematographer, Marshall Candido Mariano Rondon, through the Amazon River areas in the Central and Northern regions of Brazil. This film is a compilation of several shorter films, focusing on the local natives and their culture, as well as the jungle. Produced and directed by Thomaz Reis. Presented at the International Latino Film Festival held in the San Francisco Bay Area. Originally produced as a motion picture in 1932. Presented at the International Latino Film Festival held in the San Francisco Bay Area. 71 min. Video/C MM1271

Ragiñ Epu Mapu: Voices of the Elders and the Youth

Documentary on the Mapuche people of Chile told through archival photographs and the testimonies and experiences of the elders and Mapuche youth. Also looks at the challenges faced by Mapuche who migrate to city environments in Chile. Directed and edited by Ariel López. 2008. Presented at the International Latino Film Festival held in the San Francisco Bay Area. 47 min. DVD X7384

Mapuche: "People of the Earth"

Ritual Encounter: The "Danzaq" in Huacana

Scissors dancers act as the intermediaries between the people of the Peruvian Andes and the gods of the mountains. This ethnographic documentary shows the 'dansaq' or dancers impersonating the 'Alacran', the 'Halcon' and the 'Paqary' who dance during the Quechua Water Festivity that coincides with the Catholic festivity honoring Saint Isidore, the Farmer. Presents the festival that took place in the district of Huacana, in the Province of Sucre in Ayacucho in July 1997. During the festivity, the scissors dancers play a crucial role in renacting the symbolic universe of a culture that struggles to survive. [1998.] 40 min. Video/C 8400

Sacred Games: Ritual Warfare in a Maya Village.

Presents how the Maya people see the world and how their symbolic world is renewed in the annual carnival celebrations. 59 min. Video/C 2426

Samba da Criacao do Mundo.

Each year the Rio de Janeiro 'samba schools' (neighborhood organizations devoted to celebrating Carnival) choose a narrative or theme to produce for the parade. This video shows one pageant based on the creation legend of the Nago, performed by the Beija-Flor Samba School. Includes music, singing and dancing, splendid costumes, and scenes from the parade interspersed with the same characters in natural settings. 57 min. Video/C 4229

Sanpachando: St. Pacho Is for the Revelers (San Pacho es pa'l que lo goce)

Explores the intertwined cultural, religious, political, and afro-ethnic meanings of a vibrant festival honoring St. Francis of Assisi in Quibdo, Choco, on the northwest Pacific coast of Colombia. Special feature: Documentary film: " San Pach para quien?" (26 min. ; 2002) Directed by Daniel O. Mosquera M., Sean C. Ferry. c2009. 48 min. DVD X3252

Description from Berkeley Media LLC catalog

Song of the Earth: Traditional Music from the Highlands of Chiapas (Son de la tierra)

Tzotil elders explain the significance of traditional music and the role of musicians in their communities and talk about the influence of western music and dress on youth and express their hopes that indigenous youth will maintain their traditions and culture. 2002. 17 min. Video/C MM851

The Spirit of TV.

Shows how the Waiapi, a small and recently contacted Tupi-speaking group in far northern Brazil, have used videos to document their own cultural practices, to discover the existence of other Tupi-speaking groups they had not known about, and to receive the experience of other indigenous groups that have confronted common problems such as land rights. In Tupi and Portuguese with English subtitles. 18 min. Video/C 4283

The Toured: The Other Side of Tourism in Barbados.

This provacative documentary portrays the experience of tourism from the point of view of those who are "toured", in this case on the Caribbean Island of Barbados. Bajians talk about the realities of making a living in a tourist economy and witnessing one's traditional culture change under the impact of foreign visitors. 39 min. Video/C 6186

The Tree of Life.

This film documents the 1500 year old voladores (flyers) ritual performed by the Totonac Indians of Puebla, Mexico which is perhaps the oldest surviving dance in the Western hemisphere. It is accompanied by flute and drum music and narration taken from 15th century Nahuatl poetry. 30 min. Video/C 3555

Trees Tropiques

This documentary subtly explores the difficult issues that arise when the ethics of deforestation and the ethnographic encounter intersect. The film incisively poses the question: "Who has the right to cut... both trees and film footage?" Seemingly an observational ethnographic immersion in life along the waterways where the sweet water of the Amazon basin mixes with the salty Atlantic Ocean, the film is suddenly interrupted by questions about the ethics of including images of deforestation, which could land the protagonist in trouble with Brazil's environmental police. Produced by Alexander Fattal. 2009. DVD X3249

Description from Berkeley Media LLC catalog

Trinkets & Beads

Documents the lives of the Huaorani, a small tribe of Ecuadorian Indians who, after 20 years of pressure from foreign oil companies, agreed to allow oil-drilling on their land. Focuses on the introduction of massive environmental pollution and cultural change, and the tribe's subsequent efforts to regain control of their lives and lands. Director, Christopher Walker 1996. 53 min. DVD X3435; Video/C 6565

Description from Icarus Films catalog

Robarchek, Clayton; Robarchek, Carole. "Review: Trinkets and Beads." American Anthropologist; Dec98, Vol. 100 Issue 4, p1016, 2p UC users only

Tug of War.

Producers, Timothy Asch, Napoleon A. Chagnon. In this film about the Yanomamo Indians who live near the headwaters of the Orinoco River in Southern Venezuela, women and children of the village play a game of tug-of-war. 9 min. Video/C 3423

View online (UCB users only)

Description from Documentary Educational Resources catalog

Timothy Asch bibliography

Video Cannibalism.

Shows the introduction of video technology to a small tribe of Brazilian natives, the Enauene-Naue Indians, and their use of the camera to create a motion picture of their own about native contact with gold prospectors. 18 min. Video/C 4287

Voices of the Orishas

This is an ethnographic documentary which demonstrates the survival and strength of the Yoruba cultural and religious heritage in the contemporary life of Caribbean African-Hispanics. The program was filmed in Havana among practicioners of Santeria, and documents a ritual ceremony that features dancing, singing, praying and drum beating, invoking the twenty-two Orishas, or deities of the Yoruba religion. 1993. 37 min. Video/C 5518

Description from Berkeley Media LLC catalog

The Warao

An ethnographic documentary on the Warao people who live surrounded by water at the mouth of the Orinoco River delta in eastern Venezuela. Shows scenes of routine life including a shaman's curing ritual and methods of conflict resolution. Produced by Colin Young ; associate producer, Richard Hawkins; a film by Jorge Preloran. 1978. 55 min. Video/C MM764

Henley, Paul "The origins of observational cinema : conversations with Colin Young." In: Memories of the origins of ethnographic film / Beate Engelbrecht (ed.). Frankfurt am Main ; New York : Peter Lang, 2007. (Main (Gardner) Stacks GN347 M46 2007)

MacDougall, David. "Colin Young, Ethnographic Film and the Film Culture of the 1960s." Visual Anthropology Review Volume 17. Issue 2. September 2001 (Pages 81 - 88) UC users only

MacDougall, Judith "Colin Young and running around with a camera / Judith MacDougall." In: Memories of the origins of ethnographic film / Beate Engelbrecht (ed.). Frankfurt am Main ; New York : Peter Lang, 2007. (Main (Gardner) Stacks GN347 M46 2007)

Young, Colin. "Observational Cinema." In: Principles of visual anthropology / edited by Paul Hockings. Berlin ; New York : Mouton de Gruyter, 2003. (Anthropology GN347 .P75 2003)

Waterfall of the Jaguars (Iauaretê)

Leaders of the Tariano Indians of the northwestern Amazon region of Brazil undertake a cultural revitaliation project after many decades of Christian missionization, revisiting their sacred places and reconstructing an old ceremonial house. A film by Vincent Carelli. Presented at the International Latino Film Festival held in the San Francisco Bay Area. 2005. 48 min. DVD X3676

The Yucatec Maya: A Case Study in Marriage and the Family

Raymond Colli, a middle-aged Mayan of the Yucatan region of Mexico, and his extended family are the subjects of this case study. The interdependence and cyclical nature of living, working and learning in a "slash and burn" horticultural environment are examined. 1983. 29 min. Video/C MM7

[Waiapi] Caxiri or Manioc Beer.

Examines the role of caxiri, a native beer, in the social and cultural life of the Waiapi Indians of Brazil. An important part of Waiapi life, caxiri is imbibed daily by men, women and children. This documentary describes the preparation of caxiri, as well as its use in community festivals and celebrations. 1988. 39 min. Video/C 9940

Waiapi Body Painting and Ornaments.

Documents the methods and cultural significance of body painting and ornamentation used by the Waiapi Indians of Brazil, who use this medium to express their myths and reinforce their sense of Waiapi identity. 1988. 19 min. Video/C 9937

Waiapi Instrumental Music.

Examines a variety of wind instruments used by the Waiapi Indians of Brazil, the setting in which each is played, and the Waiapi's practice of dividing vocal and instrumental music based on sex. 1988. 58 min. Video/C 9936

Waiapi Body Slash and Burn Cultivation.

Shows how the Waiapi Indians of Brazil use slash and burn cultivation to clear the rain forest in order to grow food. Cultivation techniques and taboos are linked to gender and parenthood roles. 1987. 24 min. Video/C 9938

[Waiapi] Music, Dance and Festival Among the Waiapi Indians of Brazil.

Examines five Waiapi Indian festivals and shows the importance of manioc beer in the festivals, the variety of musical instruments and songs, and how Waiapi identity and societal order are reinforced by these communal celebrations. 1988. 39 min. Video/C 9939

We Gather As a Family. (Eu Ja Fui Seu Irmao)

Indians from the Kokrenum and Kraho villages in the Para state of Brazil, come together to encourage their youth to celebrate and conserve their cultural heritage by experiencing an initiation ceremony. Among other things, the ceromony consists of singing, body-painting, and preparations for the long, trenuous relay race through the savanna carrying and passing huge logs shoulder-to-shoulder. 32 min. Video/C 4419

Yai Wanonabalewa: The Enemy God

The film tells the true story of a Yanomamo shaman "Shoefoot" and the supernatural struggle for the survival of his people. The film immerses the audience in the lives, culture, and worldview of this indigenous peoples of the Amazon Basin. Here, where the spirit world and the natural world merge, Shoefoot has reached the highest honor of Yanomamo shaman can attain that of "child eater". Traveling in the spirit to an enemy's village to loose your demons upon their young results in many deaths, and the reverence of your people. Shoefoot has possession of many spirits, but the Spirit most feared by all Yanomamo is one they call Yai Wanonab?lew?--the Enemy God. Written & directed by Christopher Bessette. Presented at the International Latino Film Festival held in the San Francisco Bay Area. 2008. 100 min. DVD X3727

Yanomami: Keepers of the Flame.

Follows an expedition of explorers as they make contact with the Yanomami Indians of Brazil who are considered to be the last Stone Age tribe in the Amazon. Considers the social and ecological consequences to the Yanomami people as outside developers continue to encroach upon their habitat. Dist.: Video Project. 58 min. Video/C 2565

Yanomami: A Multi-disciplinary Study.

Describes the field techniques and findings of teams from such disciplines as human genetics, anthropology, epidemiology, dentistry, linguistics, and medicine as they conduct a biological-anthropological study of the Yanoama Indians in the jungles of Venezuela and Brazil. Shows many details of Yanomamo life and culture and assesses the impact of acculturation on social and genetic patterns. Produced by Timothy Asch and Napoleon Chagnon. 1970. 43 min. Video/C 9905

Description from Documentary Educational Resources catalog

Timothy Asch bibliography

Yo Soy Hechicero (I Am a Sorcerer)

It's all in a day's work for Juan Eduardo Nunuz, a Cuban refugee who leads a religious congregation in a backyard garden shed in a subdivision near Atlantic City, New Jersey. This neopagan religious cult deals in spirit possession, animal sacrifice, mythic storytelling and physical healing. Juan Eduardo's wife, a Pentacostal, claims that her husband is an instrument of Satan. Producer, Ivan Drukovka ; director, Ron Stanford. 1996. 48 min. Video/C 4669

Yo Soy Hechicero web site

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Aztec, Maya, Inca, Olmec

Central America: The Burden of Time (Legacy; 5)

The sophisticated civilizations of the Aztecs, the Maya, and the Inca, their near obliteration by the Conquistadores, the parts that survive today, and their influence on our lives today. 57 min. Video/C 3021

The Highland Maya: A Case Study in Economic Anthropology

Examines the complex interweaving of economics and religion known as the "cargo" system, which is found among the Highland Maya of Mexico and Guatemala. 1983. 29 min. Video/C 9999

The Incas.

Chronicles the Inca civilization and how it was built up into one of the best run civilizations ever. Also explores how current archaeologists are attempting to better understand the inner workings of the impressive civilization. 60 min. Video/C 275

Incidents of Travel in Chichen Itza

This ethnographic film depicts how New Agers, the Mexican state, tourists and 1920s archaeologists all contend to "clear" the site of the Maya city of Chichen Itza in order to produce their own idealized and unobstructed visions of "Maya" while the local Maya themselves struggle to occupy the site as vendors and artisans. 1997. 90 min. Video/C 9033

Description from Documentary Educational Resources catalog

The Living Maya

A four part documentary chronicling the everyday life of a present-day Mayan family as it tries to cope with modern society. 1977.

The Living Maya: Part 1. In this first segment the North American anthropologist explains his personal and professional motives for working with Maya Indians in Yucatan, Mexico. Shows the expedition embarking, arriving in the Yucatan, and beginning work in a village. 59 min. Video/C 8486

The Living Maya: Part 2. In this second segment the North American anthropologists doing field work in Yucatan, Mexico, consider the family members individually and as a unit in the village as they seek to understand the Mayan view of the world and examine how this view has shaped their society. 59 min. Video/C 8487

The Living Maya: Part 3. In this third segment the anthropology team witnesses ancient ceremonies consecrating new corn fields. Contrasts the conflicts between ancient traditions and the attraction of modern urban life when two young boys from the village plead with their parents to let them go to the city. 59 min. Video/C 8488

The Living Maya: Part 4.This final segment witnesses the return to the village in Yucatan, Mexico of two young boys who found city life lonely. The parents, who initially opposed their going to the city and who were already in debt, are confused and angry. Traditional values have been turned up-side-down by this series of events. 59 min. Video/C 8489

The Lost World of the Maya.

From the series, Nova ; follows Eric Thompson, an authority on Mayan civilization, as he embarks on a pilgrimage through Central America. Describes ruins existing in such ancient cities as Tikal, Palenque, Yaxchilan, and Quirigna, and re-creates the Maya's daily life. Concludes with a description of the theories that have been used to explain why Mayan civilization fell. 36 min. Video/C 250

Maya Lords of the Jungle.

Visits ancient sites on the Yucatan Peninsula where new findings are forcing a reappraisal of the past of the Mayans. Researchers display and interpret their findings, setting aside the errors of the pst, and quietly working a revolution in pre-Columbian archaeology. 60 min. Video/C 303

Monuments of Ancient Mexico.

Shows the first Meso-American civilization of the Olmecs, through the rise and decline of other civilizations such as the Mayas, Toltecs, and Aztecs. 25 min. Video/C 2614

Popol Vuh: The Creation Myth of the Maya.

An animated film which uses original images drawn by Quiche Maya Indians in the seventh century on funerary pottery to illustrate the Popol vuh, which is the sacred book of the Maya and includes their creation story and birth of the hero twins. Narration in English. 29 min. DVD 8615; vhs Video/C 2425 (English language version); Video/C 5620 (Spanish language version); Video/C 2803 (Tzeltal language version)

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Description from Berkeley Media LLC catalog

Religion and Magic.

While all cultures exhibit some religious practices and beliefs, the forms taken are diverse. The animism practiced by American Indians, the mixture of ancient religion and Roman Catholicism among the Highland Maya, the ritual of Eka Dasa Rudra among the Balinese and successful and unsuccessful modern movements serve to illustrate the thesis. 30 min. Video/C 578

La Reina del Barrio (The Queen of the Barrio).

During the 40 days of Carnival in Montevideo, Uruguay, groups called "murgas," of 18 t0 20 men perform in open-air stages throughout the barros of the city. Before the end of the Carnival, murgas from different barrios compete in a major theater. Their shows, which combine song, drama, and comedy, satirize the main events of the year and are critical of Uruguayan politics and culture. c2001. 32 min. Video/C MM695

Return of the Maya.

Recounts the excavation of the ancient Mayan City, Edzna, by Mayan refugees from Guatamala currently living in Mexico. Includes an examination of the current social and economic conditions of these immigrants who are ancestors of the Mayas who originally built this ancient city. Dist.: Video Project. 29 min. Video/C 2566

Sacred Games: Ritual Warfare in a Maya Village.

Presents how the Maya people see the world and how their symbolic world is renewed in the annual carnival celebrations. 59 min. Video/C 2426

Sweat of the Sun (Tribal Eye).

Visits various sites of ancient Inca and Aztec splendor and examines gold artifacts that escaped the pillaging of the Spanish conquerors. Discusses the significance of these objects and describes how they were used by Aztec and Inca priests in practical and ritual fashion. 52 min. 3/4" UMATIC Video/C 178

Swidden Horticulture Among the Lacandon Maya.

Documentary shows the subsistence cycle of the Lacandon Maya who live in the rainforest of Southern Chiapas, Mexico. Focusing on one family, the film traces each step of the swidden (slash and burn) cycle through successive stages of a horticultural season. A film by R. Jon McGee and Michael Kruse. 1986. 29 min. Video/C MM603

Weavers in Ahuiran: Michoacan, Mexico.

Documents the weaving techniques, social organization, and economic situation for women weavers in a weaving village in Michoacan, Mexico. Examines the changes in weaving style and materials, how they are taught by mothers to daughters and explores the changes caused by the long absences of the women's husbands, who leave for migrant farm work in the U.S. c1991. 53 min. Video/C MM685

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Indigenous Peoples of North America

SEE Indigenous Peoples/North & Central America videography

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Asia and Oceania:
China/Korea/Japan | Indonesia/Oceania | South Asia | Southeast Asia

China/Korea/Japan

All Under Heaven: Life in a Chinese Village.

Presents a documentary which visits the Chinese village of Long Bow. Looks at daily life, showing how traditional ways have persisted, though altered by the many sudden shifts in government policy. Looks at how the villagers deal with the most recent shift, from collective agriculture back to family farming. Director, writer, Carma Hinton. Dist.: Long Bow Group. 58 min. Video/C 2155

Grant, Geoffrey. "All Under Heaven: Life in a Chinese Village." Teaching Sociology, Vol. 17, No. 1. (Jan., 1989), pp. 132-133. UC users only

Arukihenro: Walking Pilgrims

For a great number of people the main motive for undertaking a pilgrimage consists in the journey itself. This constant quest seems to be a central need of each human being. This documentary focuses on this need in relation to the lives of today's Japanese wandering pilgrims. It shows their motives, aims and desires as they travel along the 88 Temples' Pilgrimage that circles the Japanese island of Shikoku. 2006. 73 min. DVD 8197

Chinese Historical Ethnographic Film Series, 1957-1966

Originally made in 1957-1966; English version produced by Institut fur den Wissenschaftlichen Film Gottingen. In Chinese with English subtitles and voiceover.

The "Azhu" Marriage-System of the Naxi (Moso) from Yongning. Describes the Azhu marriage-system and matrilineal kinship of the Naxi from Yunnan Province. It documents how the Azhu marriage is practised and outlines its social background in this non-Han-chinese ethnic group. Also includes some Naxi (Moso) religious rituals like Daba shamanism, and ancestral ceremony of the Siri (matri-lineage). 1965. 61 min. Video/C 9746

The Naxi art and culture in Lijiang. Describes architecture, carving, wall-painting and other crafts of the Naxi from the Autonomous District of Lijiang in Yunnan Province. The "Dongba" script and religious "Dongba-jing" written in this script is shown. Religious songs and dances of the Naxi as well as traditional Naxi music are also documented. 1966. 31 min. Video/C 9747

Dulongzu (The Dulong). Documents the way of living of a small Tibeto-Burmese tribe, the Dulong (Drung), who live in the southwestern Chinese province of Yunnan. The film shows the traditional economy of the Dulong patrilineages, the ways of exchange with neighbouring tribes and the religious customs and rituals of the Dulong. 1961. 50 min. Video/C 9748

The Kawa (The Wa). Documents the way of living of an Austro-Asiatic tribe, the Kawa (Wa) who live in Yunnan Province, near the border of Myanmar. The film shows the traditional economy of the Wa, the inner-ethnic social relations of different patri-clans and villages and the religious customs and rituals of the Wa. 1958. 25 min. Video/C 9749

The Kucong People. Documents the way of living of the Yellow Kucong, a sub-group of the Lahu, who live as nomadic hunters and gatherers in the subtropic forest in Yunnan Province. The film shows the nomadic life and traditional economy of the Yellow Kucong patri-lineages and extended patri-families, the inner-ethic social relationships and traditional customs, the silent barter trade with other ethnic groups in the region and the religious ceremonies and rituals of the Yellow Kucong. 1960. 30 min. Video/C 9750

The Oroqen Documents the life of the Oroqen, a nomadic tribe in northeast China. One of China's smallest ethnic minorities, the film documents their everyday culture, material culture and the social structure of Oroqen society. It shows the Oroqen's relationship with the Anda traders, their wedding and burial ceremonies and documents shamanistic rituals. 1963. 76 min. Video/C 9751

The Hunting and Fishing Life of the Hezhe. Documents the life of the Hezhe(n) of Northeast China living on the banks of the Songhua, Huntong and Ussuri rivers. It describes their life as fishermen and anglers, their fishing methods and the tools used for it. The film also documents various Hezhe(n) customs and their religious ceremonies. 1965. 54 min. Video/C 9752

The Ewenki on the Banks of the Argun River. Documents the nomadic life of the Ewenki, a small group of hunters and gatherers in northeast China. It describes how the Ewenki go hunting with their reindeer, their everyday life and encounters of the various Ewenki sub-groups. Also shows their religious rites and customs. 1959. 31 min. Video/C 9753

The Jingpo: A Compilation of Socio-historical Research Material Documents the life of the Jingpo (called Kachin in Burma) living in Yunnan Province of Southwestern China. Their economic activities and social structures as well as their internal and external tribal relationships are described, among them blood feuds. The film also shows religious activities and several customs of the Jingpo. 1962. 48 min. Video/C 9754

The Li: A Scientific Documentary Film. Documents forms of agricultural activities of the Li living in the Wuzhi-Shan area of Hainan Island, including their characteristic system of division of labour called "He mu zhi" (common work in the fields). Also describes Li everyday life and a number of their customs. 1958. 43 min. Video/C 9755

The Serf System in the Town of Shahliq. Documents the slavery system of Uigur landowners in the village of Shahliq in the Uigur Autonomous Region of Xinjiang in Northwestern China. It describes their economic system and landownership, social structures and the exploitative property system allowing some of the Uigurs to suppress, as landowners, other Uigur social groups. 1962. 44 min. Video/C 9756

First Moon.

An examination of the New Year's celebrations in modern China. Shows customs and ceremonies with centuries-old origins that are still performed. Colorful shows and parades are put on by villages and factories. The New Year festivities last for fifteen days, culminating in the Lantern Festival. Produced and directed by Richard Gordon and Carma Hinton. Dist.: Long Bow Group. c1987. 37 min. Video/C 2154

Iyomande: The Ainu Bear Festival

Documents the most important ceremony of the Ainu people of northern Japan. Also shows aspects of Ainu daily life in the 1930s: houses, boats, ornate swords, religious artifacts, and the elaborately tattooed mouths of the older women. A rare anthropological record, with authentic music. 1990. 26 min. Video/C MM760

Lao tou (Old Men)

Presents an intimate ethnographic portrait of elderly men in China. When the filmmaker moved to Beijing, she noticed a fixture of the community -- a group that athered daily at the curbside. They met promptly in the mornings to sit in the sun and chat, would go home for lunch and return immediately, remaining until 5:00 p.m. Although they no longer labor for their nation or for the Communist party they cannot escape the need for routine. Those that remain often refer to themselves as hopeless and useless. 1999. 94 min. Video/C MM116

First Run/Icarus catalog description

Small Happiness: Women of a Chinese Village.

An exploration of sexual politics and the reality of life in contemporary rural China. Chinese women of Long Bow speak frankly about footbindings,the new birth control policy, work, love and marriage. Dist.: Long Bow Group. 58 min. Video/C 1910

To Taste a Hundred Herbs: Gods, Ancestors, and Medicine in a Chinese Village.

Focuses on a Catholic doctor in a small village in China and shows how he combines traditional Chinese and Western medical procedures in his practice. Tells how the complex decollectivization policies in China are changing life there. Director, writer, Carma Hinton. Dist.: Long Bow Group. 58 min. Video/C 2156

To the Land of Bliss

Focusing on the post-Mao revival of Buddhism in China, the filmmaker offers an intimate portrayal of the Chinese Pure Land Buddhist way of living and dying. In 1998, the filmmaker/anthropologist Wen-jie Qin returned to her home region in Sichuan Province in southwest China. During her fieldwork, an eminent monk passed away. People in the community gathered to escort his body through a rite of fire and to observe his consciousness rise to a paradise known as the Land of Bliss of Amita Buddha. Filmed, edited and narrated by Wen-jie Qin. 1998. 47 min. DVD X3293

Description from Documentary Educational Resources catalog

Women of the Yellow Earth.

A documentary film concerning the quality of life for rural Chinese women and their families on the remote Loess Plateau. It introduces us to two village women, one who has just delivered her third child and is in trouble with the family planning officials who force her to undergo sterilization. The other is about to be married by arrangements with a matchmaker. Film gives a picture of how the state intercedes in family life, with its regulations and penalties for non-compliance. Director/photographer, John Bulmer 50 min. Video/C 3970

Indonesia/Oceania

Aboriginal Artists of Australia: Dance Performance at North Field, UC Berkeley.

Video/C 2041

The Asmat of New Guinea: A Case Study in Religion and Magic.

Studies the Asmat, a cannibalistic society of western New Guinea, and their use of religion and magic as tools of survival in a world they perceive as hostile and threatening. 1983. 28 min. Video/C 9894

Art of Indonesia: Tales from the Shadow World.

Explores Indonesia's ancient treasures and its "shadow world" -- the rituals, myths, and performances by which the harmony of the universe is maintained. 28 min. Video/C 1952

Axes and Are: Stone Tools of the Duna

llustrates the manufacture of flaked and ground stone tools among Duna craftsmen in Papua New Guinea and shows the use of the tools in making bows and arrows. Directed by J. Peter White. 1977. 41 min. Video/C MM774

Balinese Requiem

In a Balinese village, families go to great trouble and expense for their extravagant cremation ceremony. They provide special food for mourners and offerings for the deceased. A shadow pupped show is performed, inheritances and distributed and musical processions of mourners walk the streets. The bones of the dead are uncovered, washed and arranged for cremation with accompanying prayer rites. During cremation, the village is filled with smoke from pyres shaped like bulls, as the souls of the dead are cleansed of impurity, then sent out to sea to continue their journey to heaven. The film documents and explains the intricacies of these funeral rites and Balinese-Hindu beliefs about death. Directed by Yasuhiro Omori. 1992. 63 min. DVD X4093

Description from Documentary Educational Resources catalog

A Balinese Trance Seance & Jero on Jero.

A Balinese trance seance / a film by Timothy Asch, Linda Connor -- Jero on Jero "A Balinese trance seance" observed / a film by Timothy Asch, Linda Connor, Patsy Asch. In a Balinese trance seance, Jero Tapakan, a spirit medium in a small, central Balinese village, consults with a group of clients in her shrine house. In Jero on Jero, anthropologist Linda Connor and filmmakers Tim and Patsy Ash return to Bali and present Jero with a videorecording of the previous film and elicit comments from her about the film and her views on the causes and treatments of disease. Originally produced as short films in 1980 and 1981. 48 min. DVD 3550

Description from Documentary Educational Resources catalog

Timothy Asch bibliography

Bathing Babies in Three Cultures

A comparative series of sequences showing the interplay between mother and child in three different settings: bathing in the Sepik River in New Guinea, in a modern American bathroom, and in a mountain village of Bali in Indonesia. Photographer, Gregory Bateson ; editor, Josef Bohmer ; writer, Margaret Mead. 13 min. DVD X6332

Cannibal Island.

The uncredited footage in Cannibal Island which appears to be of 1930's vintage takes the viewer to the savage South Sea islands where girls are girls, and men eat men. Shown are lovely topless Samoan girls and Melanesian pygmy cannibals. The stolid, stilted narrator, while condescending and racist, illuminates both the "primitive" ways of the documentary's subjects and the social naivete of the film-makers. Originally produced in 1956. 67 min. Video/C 4902

Cannibal Tours.

When tourists today journey to the farthest reaches of Papua New Guinea, is it the indigenous tribespeople or the white visitors who are the cultural oddity? This documentary explores the differences and the similarities that emerge when the two groups meet within the context of organized "travel adventure tours." A film by Dennis O'Rourke. 77 min. Video/C 2485

Description from Direct Cinema catalog

Dennis O'Rourke bibliography

Taking Picturues Video/C 4933

Childhood Rivalry in Bali and New Guinea.

A series of scenes comparing the responses of Balinese and Iatmul children of the same age to the mother's attending to another baby, to the ear piercing of a younger sibling, and to the experimental presentation of a doll. Produced by Gregory Bateson and Margaret Mead. 1952. 17 min. Video/C 3413

The Cockfight

At cockfights in Bali, birds are matched by type, strength and fighting characteristics, metal spurs are tied to their legs, and bets are placed on the outcome: fatality, surrender, or tie-breaker. A film by Jud T. Marrs. 15 min. DVD 7788 [preservation copy]; vhs Video/C 8746

Coming of Age.

Chronicles the life and career of Margaret Mead, one of the most controversial anthropologists and fieldworkers of her day. Includes original footage from American Samoa, New Guinea and Bali. 52 min. Video/C 3855

Cunnamulla

In Cunnamulla, Queensland situated 800 kilometers west of Brisbane, and at the end of a railway line, aboriginal and white Australians live together but apart. This documentary presents the sometimes sad, often hilarious and astonishingly honest portrait of life in a small, isolated outback community. A film by Dennis O'Rourke. 1999. 82 min. Video/C MM258

Description from Direct Cinema catalog

Dennis O'Rourke bibliography

Dance and Trance of Balinese Children

Documentary on the role of dance and trance in Balinese culture, with special attention to the teaching of children. New footage is combined with footage taken by Margaret Mead and Gregory Bateson over fifty years ago to show the continuation of the tradition. It also visits Balinese living in the United States, where the children are still taught the traditional dances but also combine their Balinese heritage and their experiences living in the U.S. to create a new, multicultural dance. 1995. 43 min. Video/C 8698

Dani Sweet Potatoes

A film by Karl G. Heider. Follows the highly sophisticated process of sweet potato horticulture developed by the Grand Valley Dani in West New Guinea. 1974. 19 min. Video/C MM572

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Dead Birds.

Presents an ethnographic cross section of the life and customs of the Dani people who live in the Baliem Valley of West New Guinea. Describes a photographic and ethnographic study which was sponsored by the Peabody Museum from 1961 to 1963 of the Dani, a people dwelling in the Grand Valley of the Baliem, high in the mountains of West New Guinea. Written, photographed, and edited by Robert Gardner. 83 min. DVD 5497; vhs Video/C 4437

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Description from Documentary Educational Resources catalog

Heider, Karl G. The Dani of West Irian : an ethnographic companion to the film Dead birds / Karl G. Heider ; with the narration and film maker's statement by Robert Gardner.[Andover, Mass.] : Warner Modular Publications, 1972. (Anthropology DU744 .H393 1972)

Making Dead birds : chronicle of a film

Robert Gardner ; foreword by Phillip Lopate ; edited by Charles Warren ; designed by Jeannet Leendertse.Cambridge, MA : Peabody Museum Press, Harvard University, c2007. (Anthropology DU744.35.D32 G37 2007)

Mishler, Craig. "Narrativity and Metaphor in Ethnographic Film: A Critique of Robert Gardner's Dead Birds." American Anthropologist Volume 87, Issue 3, Date: September 1985, Pages: 668-672 UC users only

Watson, James B. "Film Reviews: Dead Birds." American Anthropologist Volume 67 Issue 5, Pages 1357 - 1359 UC users only

Robert Gardner bibliography

Dream Wanderers of Borneo (Ring of Fire; 4)

Presents the ten-year voyage of two filmmakers, brothers Lorne and Lawrence Blair, through the islands of Indonesia. In this fourth segment the brothers travel 800 miles through rainforest to find the last of the Punan Dyaks, a tribe believed to be extinct. When they do, in fact, find them, the brothers are initiated into the spiritual mysteries of the "dream wanderers" and tattooed with the symbol of Aping-"the tree of all life". 58 min. Video/C 3585

Dreamings: The Art of Aboriginal Australia.

This is a journey to the scarred heartlands and lush mangroves of Australia to see traditional Aboriginal artists at work. Explores the meaning and legends behind works of immense beauty, ranging from acrylic dot paintings of the Central Desert to cross hatched bark paintings and burial poles from Northern Australia. 30 min. Video/C 4491

East of Krakatoa (Ring of Fire; 3).

Presents the ten-year voyage of two filmmakers, brothers Lorne and Lawrence Blair, through the islands of Indonesia. In this third segment the brothers visit Java, where they descend from the crater of a new volcano, "Child of Krakatoa", to a world of medieval courts, puppet plays, forgers of magical swords, healers with supernatural powers and whole communities ruled by spirits. Then in Bali they meet with sages, and the Toraja people of the Celebes highlands, a tribe that believes its ancestors came from the stars in skyships. 58 min. Video/C 3584

Familiar Places.

Follows the efforts of a group of Australian Aborigines and an anthropologist as they map the traditional lands of an Aboriginal family that wishes to return to its homeland. Explains the politics of this Aboriginal movement of re-homestead old territorial lands (called "outstations"), and illustrates many of the problems faced by the returning natives. A film by David MacDougall. 53 min. Video/C 4440

David and Judith MacDougall bibliography

Fieldwork (Strangers Abroad: Pioneers of Social Anthropology; 1).

Sir Walter Baldwin Spencer, along with Frank Gillen, studied Australian aborigines, who up until then had been regarded as a step in the evolutionary ladder between neolithic man and the 'civilized', Victorian. The approach that the two men used to study the aborigines strongly influenced the way other cultures were later studied and showed the aborigines to be a people with an extremely complex and subtle, rather than primitive, culture. 52 min. Video/C 3851

First Contact.

Recounts the discovery of a flourishing native population in the interior highlands of New Guinea in 1930 in what had been thought to be an uninhabited area. Inhabitants of the region and surviving members of the Leahy brothers' gold prospecting party recount their astonishment at this unforeseen meeting. Includes still photographs taken by a member of the expedition and contemporary footage of the island's terrain. A film by by Bob Connolly and Robin Anderson. 55 min. DVD X3203; vhs Video/C 2252

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Ballard, Chris. "Watching First Contact." Journal of Pacific History; Jun2010, Vol. 45 Issue 1, p21-36, 16p UC users only

Wogan, Peter. "Audience reception and ethnographic film: laughing at First Contact." Visual anthropology review V. 22, no. 1 (2006), p. 14-33 UC users only

Description from Filmakers Library catalog

For Richer, For Poorer(New Pacific; 6)

Compares and contrasts weddings in China, Korea, Japan, Hawaii, Papua New Guinea and Tonga, showing how the institution of marriage is a key to understanding the social attitudes of the various cultures. 1985. 50 min. Video/C MM583

Gods of Bali

Anthropologically rich documentary, focusing on worship of temple deities, how the gods and demons interface with Bali life and the dances, trances and legend restagings that serve as the basis for their interactions with immortals. Director, Nikola Drakulic, 1952. 56 min. DVD 3596

Goodbye Old Man, or, The Film of Tukuliyangenila (A Film About Mangatopi)

Presents the elaborate "pukumani" or bereavement ceremony held to close the mourning period after the death of a senior Australian aborigine Tiwi man on Melville Island. Producer and director, David MacDougall. 1977. 67 min. Video/C MM575

David and Judith MacDougall bibliography

The Great Ceremony to Straighten the World

The film features rituals and ceremonies of the Balinese people on religious, daily, and family occasions, including music and dance. 1994. 56 min. Video/C 6809

Description from Berkeley Media LLC catalog

Guardians of the Flute

Discusses the Sambia people, a war-like tribe in the mountains of New guinea, whose secret rituals of initiation are aimed at making their warrors courageous and bold. The most secret part of the initiation are the sexual rites, which are described here by several initiates. Based on: Guardians of the flutes / Gilbert Herdt. 50 min. Video/C 6808

Horses of Life and Death

Takes a look at some of the customs and rituals on the island of Sumba and how the small sandalwood horse, brought to the island centuries ago, has become an important part of these rituals and has served as a spirit companion in the Sumbanese celebrations of life and death. Produced and directed by Linda Scheerer Whitney. c1991. 25 min. Video/C MM597

Indie-compilatie

Presents five documentary films created during the Dutch occupation of Indonesia featuring early 20th century ethnographic scenes of Indonesian life. Documentary films originally produced between 1910 and 1915. Contents: De opening van de landbouwhogeschool te Kopo -- Een autotocht door Bandoeng -- Het leven van den Inlander in de dessa -- De strafgevangenis van Batavia -- Het leven der Europeanen in Indie. Silent and in Dutch. PAL format. Video/C MM24

Island of the Red Prawns

Documents the culture of one of the Fiji Islands by recording the traditional wedding of the children of two important chieftans. Interspersed with scenes of the wedding preparations and the ceremony are sequences showing local customs, including the making of a huge ceremonial curtain; planting, growing, and harvesting food; fishing methods; and ecstatic dancing on burning coals. Written and produced by William R. Geddes. 198-? 52 min. Video/C MM773

Jugs to be Filled(New Pacific; 7)

This program looks at schools and universities in Japan, China, Korea, California and Papua New Guinea. The film shows how the structure of education reflects attitudes and cultures and that there is a strong need for Pacific peoples to emphasize national identity in a multi-cultural environment. 1985. 60 min. Video/C MM584

Karba's First Years: A Study of Balinese Childhood.

Produced by Gregory Bateson and Margaret Mead.A series of scenes in the life of a Balinese child, beginning with a seventh-month birthday ceremonial, showing the child's relationships to parents, aunts and uncles, child nurse, and other children, as he is suckled, taught to walk and to dance, teased, and titiliated. Demonstrates the process by which a Balinese child's responsiveness is muted as parents stimulate and themselves fail to respond. Produced by Gregory Bateson and Margaret Mead. Originally produced as a motion picture in 1952. 20 min. Video/C 3412

Kawitan: Creating Childhood in Bali

Examines the key Balinese early-life ceremonies at every social level in South Bali and explores the relationship between Balinese music, movement, ritual and identity. Directed and edited by Eli Hollander. c2002 56 min. DVD X3267

Berkeley Media LLC catalog description

Mabugi: Trance of the Toraja

Documents a religious trance ritual practiced in the Toraja highlands of Indonesia performed to restore health and prosperity to an afflicted village community. Narrated by the officiant priest of the indigenous Toraja religion, the film communicates both the psychological abandon of the trance state and the often neglected movitation underlying activities such as the ascent of a ladder of knives and the supernatural curing of the chronically ill. 1974. 21 min. Video/C MM63

Man Blong Custom (Tribal Eye).

Visits the jungle villages of the New Hebrides Islands to show the sacred ceremonies being performed in the village cult houses. Also depicts the rituals of the Solomon Islands' Melanesian people and examines their custom of worshiping the ancients. Video/C 177

Minangkabau Traditional Arts

Contains performances of the traditional wedding ceremony, music, and dances of the Minangkabau people of West Sumatera, Indonesia. Contents: Bukittinggi kota wisata = Bukittinggi is a town of vocation -- Bararak = wedding costume show -- Tari pasambahan = welcoming dancing -- Saluang jo dendang = saluang is wind instrument -- Silek = self defence -- Tari indang -- Saluang jo dendang = saluang is wind instrument -- Tari piriang = dance on the plate -- Saluang jo dendang -- Ngarai sianok = sianok canyon. DVD 9741

Moana: A Romance of the South Seas.

"Life and love in the South Seas... Robert Flaherty's famous travelogue." The rites, customs, and daily lives of the Samoan natives of Savaii Island, Western Samoa are depicted in this early 20th century ethnographic film. "In 1923, Jesse Lasky of Paramount offered Flaherty the opportunity to shoot a film anywhere in the world?so long as it turned out to be another Nanook. Flaherty, along with his wife and family, traveled to the village of Safune on the Samoan island of Savi?i to record the traditional culture of a civilization which was rapidly changing and becoming westernized under British rule. The result was Moana: A Romance of the Golden Age. Shot in black and white on panchromatic film, Moana has an almost stereoscopic look?the figures seem solid and real and the colors of the island foliage appear as varying shades of silvery-gray. The film explores the lives of the lovely and gentle Samoans and culminates in a ritual tattooing. Although not on the same level as Nanook or some of Flaherty?s later work, Moana was received with critical acclaim and popularity on its release. In fact, John Grierson coined the term "documentary" to describe the film. During the making of Moana, Flaherty, the independent filmmaker, had his first conflict with the studio system when Paramount insisted he cut the film for a slightly shorter running time." [CinemaWeb] 1926. 76 min. DVD 8274 [preservation copy]; vhs Video/C 6170

Information about this film from the Internet Movie Database

Credits and other information from the American Film Institute Catalog (UCB users only)

Mourning for Mangatopi.

Presents a detailed documentary record of a mortuary ceremony, the pukumani (bereavement) ceremony of the Tiwi people of the Northern Territory, Australia. The high status of Mangatopi, a leader of the tribe, demanded the special ceremony, which was organized by his relatives in the traditional way. Hundreds of relatives and friends traveled to participate in the rituals, which include "Opening up the country," special dances at the gravesite, paying the "workers," and the placing of painted pukamuni poles at the grave. Produced and directed by Curtis Levy. 1973. 56 min. Video/C 9933

New Guinea: Paradise in Peril

Looks at the exotic native peoples and uniquely stunning plant and animal life of New Guinea. The recent discovery of gold and petroleum in New Guinea places it at risk of loosing its unsurpassed biological and cultural diversity. This program looks at the challenges of development and preservation. Features amazing archival film footage of early native populations with commentary by authors, academics and the New Guinea ambassador to the U.S. Supplementary short issued with: The Adventures of young Indiana Jones. 2007. 25 min. DVD X235

Ongka's Big Moka

Ongka is a "bigman," a leader of a Kwelka tribe in New Guinea where a man's authority and prestige are derived in large part by his ability to organize a lavish "moka," or gift-giving. The moka is an elaborate system of gifts which forges alliances and maintains peace among the tribes. In this particular moka, which Ongka had been planning for ten years, the gifts included 600 pigs, cattle, rare birds, a motorcycle and a truck. The gifts obligate the recipients to repay the debt with even more "generousity" so as to maintain their own prestige. The film closely chronicles this celebration, including the preparations, and reveals a fascinating portrait of Ongka himself. Originally produced in 1974 by Granada Television ; broadcast in 1981 as an episode of the television program Odyssey. Dist.: Documentary Educational Resources. 59 min. DVD X6657

Over Rich, Over Sexed ... Over Here.(New Pacific; 4)

Examining the forces that are shaping the modern face of the Pacific region, this film looks at the impact of tourists on the cultural lives of the people of the Pacific. Indigenous populations are resentful of the ease with which Western tourists come and go and are resentful of the power of their tourist dollars. 1986. 60 min. Video/C MM582

Paradise Bent: Boys will be Girls in Samoa

An exploration of the Samoan faafafine, boys who are raised as girls, who fulfill a traditional role in Samoan culture. In the past they have shared women's traditional work but today are becoming more westernized and look more like drag queens. Several anthropologists comment on the phenomenon examining issues of culture and gender and the complexities of sexual identity. Directed by Heather Croall. c1999. 50 min. DVD X3129; vhs Video/C 8601

Description from Filmakers Library catalog

Sacred Trances of Bali and Java

Focusing on the religious practices of people living in Java and Bali, this film gives the background of Indonesian religion (Animism, Buddhism, Hinduism, and Islam). It shows the use of trance in the various religions and the blending of the earlier practices with the new. Director, writer, editor, Harvey Bellin. [198-?] 30 min. Video/C 8434

Shadow Master

An inside view of Balinese life which reveals the cultural context of theater, music, and dance on the island. It is a dramatization of events which occurred during the filming process during the two years that the director spent living and studying with a dalang (shadow master) and his extended family. The film is narrated by the dalang's daughter and all members of the family are co-creators of the story. 54 min. Video/C 9839

Shark Callers of Kontu

Shows scenes of one of the few remaining shark callers of the Kontu island community, located north of Papua New Guinea, juxtaposed with the activities of other segments of the Kontu population. Caught up in cultural changes, the disappearance of shark callers in the ritual slaying of sharks has a deep significance for this community, since these people believe that sharks contain the spirits of their ancestors. A film by Dennis O'Rourke. c1987. 54 min. Video/C MM260

Description from Direct Cinema catalog

Dennis O'Rourke bibliography

Since the Company Came

The story of a community's struggle to come to terms with the social, cultural and ecological disruption that threatens to fragment the Solomon Islands. Set on the remote island of Rendova, the film focuses on dispute and division caused by the Haporai tribe's latest development activity: a logging operation. As Rendova's forest rapidly disappears, the loggers turn to Tetepare, a nearby, pristine island held sacred by the villagers. Archival footage from the 1920's provides insight into Solomon Islands' colonial experience, and raises questions about the ongoing legacy of colonial attitudes to land and people. filmed, directed & produced by Russell Hawkins; editor, Gary Kildea. 2000. 52 min. Video/C MM1013

Description from First Run/Icarus catalog

Sky Above Mud Below

In Septermber, 1959, six Europeans left the southern coast of Dutch New Guinea to trek north to the far side of the island. They traveled for seven months through dangerous, uncharted jungles, meeting villagers in the interior who kept them at bay, and on both coasts villagers who invited them to observe their rituals and live with them. The narrator focuses on describing Stone Age people, headhunters and cannibalism. 1961. 88 min. DVD 1667

Songs From Papua New Guinea

Selected from the collection compiled by Christopher Roberts in 1982 with title: Songs of a distant jungle. Features 13 uncut selections of tribal music from the Western, West Sepik, and Southern Highlands provinces of Papua New Guinea; presented without commentary. Directed and photographed by Robert Charlton; produced by Rick Laubscher. 1982? 20 min. Video/C MM841

Three Horsemen

A film about three generations of Aboriginal stockmen, the Pootchemunka family, and their life at the TiTree settlement in Northern Queensland Australia. Directors, David and Judith MacDougall. 1982. 55 min. Video/C MM811

David and Judith MacDougall bibliography

Tobelo Marriage

Presents a traditional marriage ceremony filmed in the village of Paca, Tobelo District on the Isle of Halmahera, Indonesia in 1982. 106 min. Video/C MM907

Trance and Dance in Bali.

Presents a Balinese ceremonial dance drama in which the never-ending struggle between the witch and the dragon is played out to the accompaniment of comic interludes and violent trance seizures. Filmed at the village of Pagoetan, 1937-1939. Producers, Gregory Gateson, Margaret Mead ; photographers, Gregory Bateson, Jane Belo ; writter/ narrator, Margaret Mead. originally produced as a motion picture in 1952. 22 min. DVD X5510; Video/C 2958

Tribal Religions (Les Religions Tribales; Religiones Tribales)

Hans Kung travels to Australia to investigate the beliefs of today's Aborigines through body painting, music and dance. He then journeys to Africa to gain insights into tribal culture through modern rites that include torchlight processions, dance, and animal sacrifice. The influence of Christian missionaries is also examined. 56 min. Video/C 9676

Trobriand Cricket: An Ingenious Response to Colonialism.

Shows how the Trobriand Islanders have transformed the British game of cricket over the last seventy years into a unique Trobriand sport and a colorful ritual expressing their own cultural values. The game is a symbolic statement of the Trobriander's feelings and experiences under British colonialism. Filmmaker, Gary Kildea; director, Jerry W. Leach. 1975. 53 min. DVD 6641; Video/C 2427

Taking Picturues Video/C 4933

Description from Berkeley Media catalog

The Trobriand Islanders of Papua New Guinea (Disappearing World)

The Trobriand Islands, regarded as anthropology's most sacred place, lie off the eastern tip of Papua New Guinea. The island society has a complex balance of male authority and female wealth. Magic spells and sorcery pervade everyday life. This program focuses on two important events: the distribution of women's wealth after a death, and the "month of play", a time of celebration following the yam harvest. Director, Jerry W. Leach. 52 min. DVD 7821 [preservation copy]; vhs Video/C 3435

Two Laws

Story of the Borroloola Aboriginal Australian community told through their own words about the struggle of Aboriginal people for recognition of Aboriginal law. The film includes re-enactments of historical incidents of Aboriginal mistreatment by the law, describes the impact of government intervention on the community and deals with the complex problems of living with two laws and two cultures. Special features: "Anthropologist Fay Ginsberg on Two laws" featurette, a statement from an Aborigine politician about Two laws, footage of the government giving land back to the Aborigines, audio commentary by Bill Nichols. Directed by Carolyn Strachan, Alessandro Cavadini. 1981. 140 min. DVD X236

Waiting for Harry.

Presents an Australian aboriginal memorial ceremony for a man who died six years previously, in Djunawunya, Arnhem Land. Video/C 2433

A Walbiri Fire Ceremony: Ngatjakula Yuendumu, Central Australia, August, 1967

This film shows the fire ceremony of the Walbiri people of Central Australia. The ceremony employs fire to inflict real and symbolic punishment on those responsible for a social transgression. In the course of the ceremony one of the two main groupings (moieties) within Walbiri society has the opportunity to exact from the other an acknowledgement of wrong-doing by some of its members. In his commentary Nicolas Peterson explains this social division and the role the ceremony plays in restoring order to the community. Director, Roger Sandall. 21 min. 1977. DVD 9155 [preservation copy]; Video/C MM762

When the Sun Rises: a Toraja priest of the Ancestral Way

In the highlands of south Sulawesi, Indonesia, live the Toraja people. They have their own religion, called Aluk to Dolo ('Way of the Ancestors'), or simply Aluka ('Our Way'). The Dutch colonised Tana Toraja in 1906 and introduced the Dutch Reformed Church. Today less than 5% of the population still maintains the Aluk to Dolo. This film follows a Toraja priest (Tato? Dena?) as he explains and practices his faith. A film by Roxana Waterson. c2007. 67 min. DVD X5854

Women of the Earth: Australian Aborigines

Examines the lives of Australian aborigines through the eyes of aboriginal women. Shows the efforts to keep traditional aboriginal identity, lifestyle, and customs alive through art, dance, and storytelling and the continual struggle for land rights. 1995. 55 min. Video/C 5603

Yap: How Did You Know We'd Like TV?

Documentary about the introduction of American television to the small Pacific island of Yap, examining the social and political impact that TV has had on the Yapese way of life. Considers whether, as some Yapese believe the introduction of television was designed to create dependency and promote U.S. cultural values in a strategically important island. A film by Dennis O'Rourke 1987. 54 min. Video/C MM261

Description from Direct Cinema catalog

Dennis O'Rourke bibliography

South Asia

Acting Like a Thief: A Documentary

This story of a Chhara tribal theatre group in Ahmedabad, India. The members of the Budhan Theatre are tribal rebels who were notified as "born criminals" by the British in 1871, and imprisoned in a labor camp in Ahmedabad. After Indian independence, they were de-notified, but the stigma of being "born criminal" follows them to this day. This documentary reveals how theatre has transformed the lives of adults and children within the community. Directed and produced by P. Kerim Friedman & Shashwati Talukdar. 2005. 15 min. DVD 6990

Description from Documentary Educational Resources catalog

Altar of Fire

Documents the last performance of the Agnicayana or Atriatra, a Vedic sacrificial ritual, enacted by the Nambudiri Brahmins in Panjal, a village in Kerala, southwestern India in April 1975. Explains the origin of the Vedic sacred literature, discusses how the oral tradition is perpetuated, shows construction of sacrificial altars and sheds, and introduces the principle participants in the ritual. Produced by Robert Gardner and Frits Staal. 1976. 45 min. DVD 5496; vhs Video/C 8152

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Description from Documentary Educational Resources catalog

Paul, Robert A. "Films: Altar of Fire. 1975?76. Filmed by Robert Gardner, co-produced by Frits Staal." American Anthropologist Volume 80, Issue 1, Date: March 1978, Pages: 197-199 UC users only

Robert Gardner bibliography

Banni Bai and Hari katha

Banni Bai was a traditional storyteller, a practitioner of the classical form of oral performance called Harikatha or the telling of divine stories. She told tales from Hindu mythology and folklore, her narrative interspersed with song and mime. This documentation was done when she was 75 years old when she had stopped going out to give performances but was still able to perform in her own home. She also speaks of herself--how she started learning these songs when she was barely eight years old. Extracts from her performance are interspersed with her delightful personal reminiscences. 1986. 40 min. Video/C MM1221

Bhavai Folk Theater of Gujarat, India.

Performances of Bhavai, the medieval form of ancient Indian dramatic art, interspersed with commentary by performers, directors and educators. 24 min. Video/C 4051

Buddha and the Rice-planters: Songs and Drums of Sri Lanka

In the 3rd century B.C. Sinhalese village life, folklore, religious rites, sculpture, painting, music and dance became wholly integrated with Buddhism and remains so today. Villagers are seen cultivating and harvesting their rice fields, accompanied by songs and dances. 198? 27 min. Video/C MM1016

The Cosmic Dance of Shiva.

Celebrates various images of Shiva, the Hindu Lord of dance, as expressed in ritual dance. approx. 60 min. Video/C 2616

Dadi's Family.

A portrait of a farming family in India which focuses on Dadi, the grandmother, who manages a large household of sons, daughters-in-law and grandchildren and tries to hold the extended family together despite external and internal changes. Looks at the role and lives of women, who become members of their husband's family upon marriage. Originally broadcast in 1980 as a segment of the television series Odyssey. Film was originally part of a film series made under the auspices of James MacDonald, University of Wisconsin-Madison. Dist.: Documentary Educational Resources. 59 min. DVD X6655; Video/C 347

Destination Tourism.

Bodh Gaya, the world's most popular destination of Buddhist pilgrimage, is located in one of India's poorest states. Visitors to this UNESCO World Heritage site are typically shocked by the extreme poverty there, and the Buddhist tradition of alms-giving motivates them to donate money. As a result, Bodh Gaya has developed a sophisticated charity "industry" which caters to and depends on tourists and tourism. This thought-provoking documentary explores the complex, interconnected effects of tourism, globalization, culture, philanthropy, and religion in Bodh Gaya. Dist.: Berkeley Media. 2007. 20 min. DVD 7846

Dhaminis of Jumla: Spirit Possession in Western Nepal.

Explores the ritual practice and social importance of spirit possession in the villages of Jumla, in western Nepal. The film focuses on two women, known as "dhaminis", and examinies the ways in which spirit possession makes them the centerpieces of religious life in their communities. 2000. 38 min. DVD X11 [preservation copy]; vhs Video/C MM729

Diya

Provides a new way of exploring the complex social life surrounding material objects. A diya is a small terracotta oil lamp used throughout India in religious ceremonies. The film begins with a family of potters as they make diyas in the increasingly frantic days before Diwali, the "Festival of Lights." The lamps are produced on a potter's wheel, are taken to be sold in the bazaar, and are then used in the Diwali puja ceremonies. Afterwards, they are discarded and return to the earth. Produced by Judith MacDougall. 2001. 56 min. DVD X3287

Berkeley Media LLC catalog description

David and Judith MacDougall bibliography

Doon School Quintet

An intimate study of India's most prestigious boys' boarding school, located in Dehra Dun in Uttaranchal. Sometimes called 'the Eton of India', Doon School has never the less developed its own distinctive style and presents a curious mixture of privilege and egalitarianism. Part 1 looks at the life of Indian middle-class boys as they experience the effects of institutional, national, and global pressures during the transitional years from childhood to adulthood. Part 2 focuses on a group of 12 year olds during their first year in one of the 'houses' for new boys. Part 3 follows one of the boys into the next phase of his life in Jaipur House, one of the five main houses in the school. Part 4 focuses on the social dynamics within the group arriving in Foot House, one of Doon Schools' dormitories for new boys. Part 5 explores the thoughts and feelings of one boy during his first weeks as a Doon student. Contents: Disc 1-2. [Part 1] . Doon School chronicles : a study in 10 parts (140 min) -- Disc 3. [Part 2]. With morning hearts : a year in foot house (110 min.) -- Disc 4. [Part 3]. Karam in Jaipur (53 min.) -- Disc 5. [Part 4]. The new boys (101 min.) -- Disc 6. [Part 5]. The age of reason (87 min.). A film by David MacDougall. Originally released as a series of documentaries in Australia : [Fieldwork Films], 2000-2004. 491 min. DVD X813

Grimshaw, Anna. "From observational cinema to participatory cinema - and back again? David MacDougall and the Doon school project." Visual anthropology review V. 18, (2002), p. 80-93 UC users only

MacDougall, David. "Social Aesthetics and The Doon School." Visual Anthropology Review, Volume 15, Issue 1 (March 1999) Pages: 3-20 UC users only

Srivastava, Sanjay. Constructing post-colonial India : national character and the Doon School / Sanjay Srivastava. London ; New York : Routledge, 1998. (Main (Gardner) Stacks DS428.2 .S77 1998)

Srivastava, Sanjay. "Imagining Social Landscapes." Visual Anthropology Review Volume 16 Issue 1, Pages 95 - 98 (March 2000) UC users only

Vaughan, Dai. "The Doon School Project." Visual Anthropology, Volume 18, Issue 5 October 2005, pages 457 - 464 UC users only

David and Judith MacDougall bibliography

Folklore of the Transgender Community in Tamil Nadu

Documentary on life cycle ceremonies of transgendered people in Tamil Nadu, India. 2007. 39 min. DVD X2611

Forest of Bliss.

A film without commentary, subtitles or dialogue on daily life in the Holy City of Benares filmed from one sunrise to the next, including daily customs and religious rituals. A film by Robert Gardner. 1986. 90 min. DVD 5516

Description from Documentary Educational Resources catalog

Robert Gardner bibliography

Hunza: The Legendary Land.

Presents the breath-taking beauty of the snow-capped mountains of the Karakoram Range and examines the architecture, folk culture, and traditions of the Wakhi and Burusho people of Hunza in Northern Pakistan. 38 min. Video/C 3736

An Indian Pilgrimage--Ramdevra.

Presents a documentary on a folk pilgrimage to Ramdevra, India. Follows a group of Hindus from Bombay to the grave of Ramdev, a medieval hero and saint of Rajasthan. Shows ways in which the Hindu pilgrims are free to worship, their collective offering at Ramdev's grave, and their interactions with other pilgrims, shoppers, preachers, hawkers, and devotional singers who throng the festival. Devotional songs telling the stories of Ramdev feature prominently in film. 26 min Video/C 3773

Jag Mandir : the eccentric private theatre of the Maharana of Udaipur (Jag Mandir: Das excentrische Privattheater des Maharadscha von Udaipur)

The third film in Vol. 4 of a 6 volume collection of documentary and short films by Werner Herzog. Filmed at the Jag Mandir, the Maharana's island palace situated on India's Lake Pichola, a building that's slowly sinking. The occasion? A grand spectacle of folk dancing and performance: 500 performers speaking 23 languages dressed in luxuriant costumes. It's a celebration of folk traditions that, like the palace, may soon disappear. A film by Werner Herzog. 1991. DVD 6504

Kahankar, Ahankar: Story Maker, Story Taker.

Film brings together a selection of the legends and paintings of the Warlis, and writings about these Adivasis who live close to Bombay. These stories represent their history and world-view but outsiders; the Portuguese, the Marathas, and the British have all tried to obliterate this history and wisdom. The works here of the outsiders about the Warlis represent this process. By bringing together these disparate discourses, this film aspires to critique these mythologies and to read between the lines. 1995. 38 min. PAL format Video/C 4897

Kotla Walks: Performing Locality

Explores the changing urban lifestyles in contemporary India ...people caught between local tradition and the effects of globalization. The film provides a richly detailed portrait of the residents of Kotla Mubarakpur, an "urban village" in South Delhi, by focusing on the family of Sarita and Raman Bhardwaj and their friends and neighbors. Raman is concerned about the effects of television on his children, and prefers 'chatting' on the internet, whereas Sarita battles to have the recently disconnected 'cable TV' restored. The Bhardwaj's acquaintances include Jaidev, who is an aspiring musician, Arnima, who wants to be a film-star, and the local policewoman, Satish Bhati, who is friendly with fellow members of her Gujar community. Director, Simon Wilmot. 2005. 94 min. DVD X3288

Berkeley Media LLC catalog description

Krishna in Spring.

A recording in image and sound of the ancient festival of spring, 'Holi', which retells through music and dance the story of the life of Krishna. 27 min. Video/C 2492

Kumari: Living Goddess of Nepal

In Nepal an ancient tradition survives to this day : young girls are chosen to become goddesses and taken away from their families to live in a temple where people come to worship them and pray for good fortune. In a country where girls are seen as second class citizens, the worshipping of a girl child could be seen as a positive role model, but some are adamant that the tradition should be stopped as the young girls miss out on their family and school life and suffer serious psychological problems as a result. This film looks at the life of three young goddesses and explores the debates for and against this unique tradition. A film by Tassia Kobylinska. c2005. 27 min. DVD X4230

Loving Krishna(Pleasing God Series)

Explores the worship of Krishna in India within families and in large celebrations including the Celebration of Krishna's Birth and the Chariot Journey of Krishna. A film by Allen Moore and Ákos Östör; produced by Robert Gardner. 1985. 40 min. Video/C 5836

View online (UCB users only)

Bertocci, Peter J. "Pleasing God, A Trilogy." American Anthropologist, Volume 89, Issue 1 (March 1987) Pages: 259-262 UC users only

Mithila Painters: Five Village Artists from Madhubani, India.

Interviews with five Indian painters who live in Mithila and practice the ancient folk painting unique to the North Indian region of Madhubani. They display their works and explain their painting techniques and the folklore and stories which inspire their art. In Tamil with English voiceover.40 min. Video/C 3381

Nat Pwe: Burma's Carnival of Spirit Soul.

Filmed at Nat Pwe in Taungbyon, August 2002. Portrays the annual festival in Taungbyon, Burma, which combines conservative tradition with free-spirited music, dance and ecstatic spirit possession. It features the Pwe ceremony to appease ghost spirits called Nats, who are summoned by the flamboyant Kadaw, or master of the Pwe. Filmed by Richard Bishop; produced by Alan Bishop. c2003. 85 min. DVD 4087

Of Bards and Beggars.

A documentary film about the prayer ritual jagraan, made to the deity Pabuji, a guardian of livestock, as it is performed by folk musicians in Rajasthan. The musicians who perform the jaagran, known as bhopas, are losing their traditional patrons, the nomadic herders of livestock known as Raikas, and the remaining bhopas are forced more and more to perform for foreign and Indian tourists who know little about their craft. A film by Yask Desai, Shweta Kishore. 2003. 30 min. DVD 4950

On the Road with the Red God Machhendranath

Captures the complex human elements behind the wheeled chariot festival of the deity Rato Machhendranath of the Kathmadu Valley, one of Asia's greatest ancient religious festivals. Instead of exotic idealised depictions of tradition, the film portrays the gritty reality of the festival where confict or solidarity can prevail, maping the dynamic interplay between tradition and modernity. Directed and written by Kesang Tseten. 2005. 72 min. DVD 6712

Painted Ballad of India.

Takes place in the desert village of Rajasthan, on the western side of North India. Examines the painting of horizontal scrolls. The camera follows the ballad singer as he begins with the tale of Pabuji. The themes of his songs vary from ancient legends to contemporary social and political problems. 30 min. Video/C 2376

Photo Wallahs: An Encounter with Photography in Mussoorie, a North Indian Hill Station

The film focuses on the photographers of Mussoorie, a hill station in the Himalayan foothills of northern India whose fame has attracted tourists since the 19th century. Through a rich mixture of scenes that includes the photographers at work, their clients, and both old and new photographs, this film examines photography as art and as social artifact. A film by David & Judith MacDougall 1991. 60 min. Video/C 9413

Description from Berkeley Media Catalog

MacDougall, David. ""Photo wallahs:" An Encounter with Photography." Visual Anthropology Review, Volume 8, Issue 2 (September 1992) Pages: 96-100 UC users only

Östör, Ákos "Filming Photography with the MacDougalls in India." Visual Anthropology Review Volume 9 Issue 2, Pages 126 - 131 (September 1993) UC users only

Pinney, C. "To know a man from his face': "Photo wallahs" and the uses of visual anthropology." Visual anthropology review V. 9, no. 2 (1993), p. 118-25 UC users only

Scherer, Joanna Cohan. "Photo Wallahs." American Anthropologist, Volume 94, Issue 4 (December 1992) Pages: 1029-1030 UC users only

David and Judith MacDougall bibliography

Rhythm of Joy: Bhihu Dance, Assam

The Bihu dance is performed during the Assamese folk harvest festival heralding the new year. One man sings the refrain and others repeat it in cycles. The participants dance in a circle, initially with a slow tempo and then gradually the dancers build up to a fast rhythm. Bihu is basically a dance for couples, young men and women both take part and dance to the rhythmic music of the Bihu songs. The dance begins in a circle, but soon breaks up into parallel lines, the dancers execute beautiful figures of intertwined semi- circles. 1998. 26 min. DVD X3205

Seraikella Chhau: The Masked Dance of India.

Introducesthe art form of the masked dance and illustrates the variety of characters that may be portrayed. 38 min. Video/C 3245

Serpent Mother(Pleasing God Series)

Shows how the Bengalis in the town of Vishnupur worship the snake goddess Manasha, a deity of the earth who is close to the day-to-day concerns of agrarian life. A film by Allen Moore and Ákos Östör; produced by Robert Gardner. 1986. 30 min. Video/C 7623

Bertocci, Peter J. "Pleasing God, A Trilogy." American Anthropologist, Volume 89, Issue 1 (March 1987) Pages: 259-262 UC users only

Short Cut to Nirvana: Kumbha Mela

Documents the Kumbha Mela Hindu festival, attended by 70 million people, in Allahabad, India, during January, 2001, capturing the joy that enveloped both the festival's pilgrims and world-renowned gurus in attendance. Special features: Short documentary "Pilgrims from the West: four years on" (16 min.) ; interview with the filmmakers ; theatrical trailer ; Mela slide show gallery ; Ramanand Puri on yoga and breathing ; Purna Praghnamataji on dharma, satsang and gurus ; Pilot Baba on inner peace and samadhi ; Sadhevi Ritabharaji on unity and conscious awareness ; Sudarshanacharya Maharaj on devotion to a goal and celebration ; the Dalai Lama on religious harmony and inner peace. Produced and directed by Maurizio Benazzo & Nick Day. 2005. 85 min. DVD 4583

A Song of Ceylon.

"A formally rigorous, visually stunning study of colonialism, gender and the body. The title echoes the classic British documentary and evokes a country erased from the world map. The soundtrack enacts a Sri Lankan anthropological text observing a woman?s ritual exorcism. Visually, the film brings together theatrical conventions and recreations of classic film stills, presenting the body in striking tableaux. This remarkable film is a provocative treatise on hybridity, hysteria and performance." [Women Make Movies catalog]. Directed by Laleen S. B. Jayamanne. 1985. 51 min. Video/C 4650

Description from Women Make Movies catalog

A Sons of Shiva. (Pleasing God Series)

Shows how the Bengalis in the town of Vishnupur celebrate the annual ritual of Gajan in honor of Lord Shiva, during which the participants renounce the concerns of daily life in order to devote themselves entirely to the service of God. A film by Robert Gardner and Ákos Östör. Originally produced in 1985. 29 min. DVD 5515; vhs Video/C 7622

View online (UCB users only)

Bertocci, Peter J. "Pleasing God, A Trilogy." American Anthropologist, Volume 89, Issue 1 (March 1987) Pages: 259-262 UC users only

Description from Documentary Educational Resources catalog

Robert Gardner bibliography

Vani

Shows how the Bengalis in the town of Vishnupur celebrate the annual ritual of Gajan in honor of Lord Shiva, during which the participants renounce the concerns of daily life in order to devote themselves entirely to the service of God. A film by Robert Gardner. Originally produced in 1985. 29 min. DVD 5515; vhs Video/C 7622

Robert Gardner bibliography

Wedding of the Goddess.

A documentary on the Chitterai Festival in Madurai, India, that provides historical background on the annual festival, shows the reenactment of the marriage of the god Sundareshvara and the goddess Minakshi, and provides a picture of the proceedings of the 19-day festival.76 min. Video/C 3767

Wheel of Time.

Wheel of Time is acclaimed filmmaker Werner Herzog's gorgeously photographed look at the largest Buddhist ritual in Bodh Gaya, India. It is said that Buddha found enlightenment under a tree in Bodh Gaya and today, Buddhist monks are ordained in this holy place. Herzog magically captures the lengthy pilgrimage (which for some, is over 3,000 miles), the monk's creation of the beautiful and intricate sand mandala (the wheel of time) along with many secret rituals that have never been seen before on film. He delivers a personal and introspective look at what Buddhism really means to the most ardent followers, as well as giving outsiders an intimate look into a fascinating way of life. 2003. 80 min. DVD 4593

Southeast Asia

Ball of Fire: The Angry Goddess

Ethnographic coverage of the Kerala South Indian ritual dance mudiyettu, in which men become possessed by the spirit of the goddess Bhadrakali. 1999. 58 min. Video/C MM617

The Batak: Ancient Spirits, Modern World

Sociocultural anthropologist James Eder documents the Batak tribes' eco-friendly hunter/gatherer way of life on the Philippine island of Palawan. Increasingly driven to take part in the island's growing cash economy, the tenacious Batak struggle to maintain their cultural and spiritual identity. Can conservationists, who approve of their sustainable methods of harvesting, help to secure the tribe's ancestral forest before it is lost?. 2000. 50 min. Video/C 8595

Between Two Worlds.

Describes the art of Shamanism and the role of the Shaman in Hmong society. Examines conflict between the ancient religion and traditions of the Hmong and Christian practice and belief. Interviews Hmong living in Chicago. Directed and edited by Taggart Siegel. 1985. 28 min. DVD DVD X1791; vhs Video/C 2850

The Bisayan Malay Heritage in Sabah

Documentary on the Bisaya ethnic group, a part of the Malay community who live west of Sabah especially in Beaufort and Kuala Penyu, Limbang Sarawak and Brunei Darussalam. They live along the Padas River, and subsist through the growing of sago with the river as a main of source of subsistence. Presented here are songs or 'badaup', presenting the liliput dance, pony dance, and the playing of traditional musical instruments. 2006? 40 min. DVD 8522

Celso and Cora

A documentary focusing on a family in a squatter settlement in the Philippine capital of Manila as a depiction of Third World poverty. Produced and directed by Gary Kildea. 1983. 109 min. Video/C 4403

Kildea, Gary; Willson, Margaret. "Interpreting Ethnographic Film: An Exchange About 'Celso and Cora'." Anthropology Today, Vol. 2, No. 4 (Aug., 1986), pp. 15-17 UC users only

Chang

Tells the story of a farmer and his family living in the jungle of northeast Siam, and their struggles for survival against the many wild animals around them -- boars, tigers, leopards and even ... changs! (the Siamese word for elephant). The climactic elephant stampede is still considered one of the most exciting scenes in cinema history. Director/writers, Merian C. Cooper, Ernest B. Schoedsack. 1927. 70 min. DVD 3874; Video/C 999:2691

Description from Milestone Film & Video catalog

The Hmong: Hilltribe People of Laos.

Portrait of the daily life, culture and spiritual beliefs of the Hmong hilltribe people living in the Loei (Ban Vinai) refugee camp in Thailand after fleeing persecution in Laos. 58 min. Video/C 1883

The JVC Video Anthology of World Music and Dance:

Vietnam, Cambodia (Video/C 3519); Thailand, Burma (Video/C 3520); Malaysia, Philippines (Video/C 3521); Indonesia (Video/C 3522-3523) (for complete listing of contents, consult GLADIS under series title: f se JVC Video Anthology of World Music and Dance). 49 min. ea.

Kahyangan: the Balinese Journey of the Soul

Explores the full cycle of Balinese death rituals that support and protect the soul's journey in its endless cycle of life, death, and rebirth. The specific ceremonies, which vary according to social and economic level, family tradition, and individual circumstance, are linked through Hindu-Buddhist tradition and the centrality of various Balinese forms of gamelan and vocal music that validate the rituals, protect the deceased, and guide the soul on its journey. Produced by Linda Burman-Hall, Eli Hollander. 2010. 55 min. DVD X3289

Berkeley Media LLC catalog description

Love Man Love Woman (Chuyên thay duc = The tale of Master Duc)

In this documentary, the filmmaker follows Master Luu Ngoc Duc, one of the most prominent spirit mediums in Hanoi, and his vibrant community through their rituals and everyday life. The film explores how effeminate and gay men in homophobic Vietnam have traditionally found community and expression in the country's popular Mother Goddess Religion, Dao Mau. Directed, shot, produced & edited by Nguyen Thi. Trinh. c2007. 53 min. DVD X6602

Paj Ntaub: Textile Techniques of the Hmong.

Through profiles of four Hmong women now living in Rhode Island, this film looks at the history and traditional weaving techniques of the Hmong people of Southeast Asia. 1996. 40 min. Video/C MM843

Shamans of Siquijor: The Healers

Profiles three healers on Siquijor Island, Philippines, who cure illnesses using herbs, incantations, a magical prayer wheel, and other means. Is folk healing still valuable for the social and spiritual life of the community or just a dying relic of old traditions? c2004. 27 min. DVD 6672

Trial in the Jungle.

A documentary film investigating a controversy which errupted among anthropologists over the Tasaday, a small group (26) of Stone Age cave-dwellers who were discovered in the rain forests of the Southern Philippines in 1971. In 1986, a Swiss journalist, Oswald Iten, broke the story that the Tasaday were not cave-dwellers and were not a separate group but part of the local T'boli and Manobo people; that it was a hoax orchestrated by President Marcos' Minister for Tribal Affairs. In 1987, the Philippine Congress held 6 hearings on the Tasaday and after 2 years concluded that they are authentic. 49 min. Video/C 4103

To the top

Europe/Eastern Europe

Bordegassos de Vilanova, 1999: Ja som colla de 9!

Members of Bordegassos Vilanova form various types of human pyramids up to nine levels high, showing how they are constructed and then disassembled. These human towers are built traditionally in festivals at many locations within Catalonia, Spain. 31 min. DVD X5215

Carnival in Switzerland: A World Turned Upside Down: Festivities From Four Different Towns

eatures four old-time Carnival celebrations from different towns in Switzerland: Carnival Sunday in Evolène with its huge masked figures swathed in burlap and straw who harass passers-by, Kriens with its male celebrants dressed in traditional female costume, Liestal with its firewagons and firebroom parade, and Luzern with its teams of costumed figures in a street parade. 2000. 54 min. Video/C MM883

Es war einmal: Das Land der Bruder Grimm (Once Upon a Time: The Fairy Tale Land of the Brothers Grimm)

A documentary on the two brothers Grimm who compiled their famous fairy tales from oral folk tales and legends handed down by the German people. Presents a biography of their lives and scenes from areas in Germany where they were raised and spent their adult lives. 29 min. Video/C 8699

Gypsies.

The Russian government has passed a law requiring gypsies to have an address so they are no longer allowed to wander across Russia. This documentary deals with the changes that are taking place as the gypsies become homeowners and with the younger generations of gypsies who are starting to be absorbed into the Russian culture, much to the dismay of the older generation. Directed by Natalia Homutova. c2000. 50 min. Video/C 7745

Gypsies.

A cinema-verite style documentary film directed by Wladyslaw Slesicki that follows a traveling gypsy caravan as they wander across rural Poland. Original synchronous sound with no Commentary. Direction and script by Wadyslaw Slesicki. 1961. 30 min. Video/C MM1104

Jakub

Presents an extensive ethnographical-sociological study of the life of the Ruthenians, filmed in the locality of the Maramuresh mountains in the north of Romania and in the former Sudetenland in Western Bohemia. The film was made over a period of five years during the time of both totalitarian regimes and was completed in 1992 after the revolution. Written and directed by Jana Sevcikova. 1992. 65 min. DVD X152

Kypseli--Women and Men Apart: A Divided Reality

A film essay on the peasant society of Kipseli, a small isolated Greek village on the island of Thera. Depicts how the people of Kipseli divide time, space, material possessions, and activities according to an underlying pattern based on the separation of the sexes, and shows how this division determines the village social structure. 1973. 38 min. Video/C 7648

Description from Berkeley Media LLC catalog

Latcho Drom.

This film presents, in documentary format, a glimpse of contemporary Gypsy life as expressed in a variety of musical settings. Scenes and music from Gypsy cultures in India, Egypt, Turkey, Romania, Hungary, Slovakia and Spain. A film by Tony Gatlif. 1993. 103 min. DVD X4122; vhs Video/C 4068

Bori, Erzsébet. "Caravans Without Wheels (Documentary Films on the Roma)." The Hungarian Quarterly (179/2005)

Dobreva, Nikolina. "Constructing the 'Celluloid Gypsy': Tony Gatlif and Emir Kusturica's 'Gypsy films' in the context of New Europe." Romani Studies, Dec2007, Vol. 17 Issue 2, p141-153, 13p UC users only

Imre, Aniko. "Roma Music and Transnational Homelessness." Third Text; May2008, Vol. 22 Issue 3, p325-336, 12p

Morier, Roger. "History's scapegoats." New Internationalist, Apr95 Issue 266, p23, 3p

Silverman, Carol. "Latcho Drom." Ethnomusicology. Spring 2000. Vol. 44, Iss. 2; p. 362 UC users only

Man of Aran.

Videocassette release of the 1934 motion picture. Writer, Robert J. Flaherty; cinematography, Robert J. Flaherty, Francis Flaherty, John Goldman ; music, John Greenwood. Depicts the daily existence and fight for survival of the fisherfolk living on the remote and barren Aran Islands of Ireland. 77 min. DVD 1687; Video/C 3813

Monti Moments: Men's Memories in the Heart of Rome

Provides an intimate portrait of social change in Monti, a rapidly gentrifying neighborhood in Rome. Told through engaging informal conversations with local inhabitants, the film speaks to important issues at the heart of contemporary social science -- issues of history, memory, and voice -- as well as to the effects of rapid socioeconomic change in urban neighborhoods. Filmed and produced by Michael Herzfeld. 2006. 39 min. DVD X3274

Berkeley Media LLC catalog description

Old Believers (Staroverci)

Shot over a period of five years, documents the life of a strongly religious community living in the Danube Delta. Time seems to have stopped in this forsaken Romanian village where the Russian emigrants of a minority faith settled during the 17th century. Their descendants were able to preserve not only their original beliefs but also their language while remaining faithful to their ancient rites and customs. A specific, almost meditative rhythm in this place gives a transcendental significance to even the most ordinary everyday tasks. Written and directed by Jana Sevcikova. 2001. 46 min. DVD X152

Peasant Women of Ryazan.

Silent film with Russian intertitles. Long considered this female Soviet director's best work,film is a poetic and lyrical ethnographical film which depicts social change in a Russian rural village. As a social document the film reveals, with sensitivity, the status of women in the old way of life which at times was demeaning. 80 min. Video/C 4037

Piemule

During the early 1980's, Czech filmmaker Jana Sevikova spent several years documenting the daily lives and customs of an ethnic group of Czechs living near Timisoara, Romania. The social and work customs of these individuals are much like those of their ancestors who settled in the Romanian highlands over 150 years ago. In returning to the village in 1992, the filmmaker found that little had changed despite the fall of communism. Written and directed by Jana Sevcikova. 1992. 43 min. DVD X152

Porraimos: Europe's Gypsies in the Holocaust

Chronicles the Roma (Gypsy) Holocaust--Porraimos, or "the devouring" which shows how the pseudo-science of eugenics was used to persecute not only Jews, but also Gypsies. Using interviews with Austrian, Czech and German Gypsy survivors, as well as photographs and films from the Reich Department of Racial Hygiene, this film reveals the oppression of the gypsies -- their registration and segregation, their sterilization, the medical experiments and eventual murder. Dist. Cinema Guild. 2002. 57 min. Video/C 9742

Processione: a Sicilian Easter

The annual "Procession of the Mysteries" in Trapani, Sicily, is a 400-year-old ritual procession that begins on Good Friday and continues for 24 hours. In the procession, townsmen carry one-ton statues depicting the Stations of the Cross through old Trapani. The last statue in the procession is that of the Madonna, who "searches" for her lost son, Christ, until she "returns" to the village church on Holy Saturday. It explores the psychology of ritual--the reasons why a community has for centuries staged a religious celebration as a public theater of grief and communally shared mourning. 1989. 28 min. Video/C 8681

The Romany Trail.

Part 1 is a search for the "lost" gypsy tribes of Egypt, and traces their route into Spain; pt. 2 goes to India, to find what are believed to be the original gypsy families whose descendants migrated across the Middle East to Africa and Europe, and then goes to Eastern Europe, among the oppressed gypsy communities of then-Communist Europe. 120 min. Video/C 3266

Sanjoaninas na Terceira.

A visit to the celebration of the Festas Sanjoaninas held on the island of Terceira in the Azores. This festival of Portuguese songs, dances, storytelling and bullfights celebrates the religious and cultural heritage of the residents of the Azores. 58 min. Video/C 4381

Semana Santa in Seville

Documents the art and history of the celebration of Holy Week, or Semana Santa, in Seville, Spain, a tradition which dates back more than five centuries. Director and writer, Mary Flannery. 1995. 52 min. DVD X5057

Senhora Aparecida (Our Lady Aparecida)

In the Portuguese village of Senhora Aparecida, the annual festival is being prepared. The biers that reach fifteen meters high and which are carried by 70 men are being erected and decorated. The penitents order the coffins that will carry them, in a procession to the chapel as is the secular tradition. But a new priest has his own ideas about how religion should be practiced in the town and wants to put an end to the coffins procession. 1994. 55 min. Video/C 9726

Description from Documentary Educational Resources catalog

Song of the Sephardi.

A feature-length documentary musical film about the songs and traditions of the Spanish Jews ... with the participation of the Sephardic communities of Seattle and Jerusalem. 75 min. Video/C 2325

Summer Walkers: A Documentary Study of the Life and Culture of the "Travelling People" in the Highlands of Scotland.

Travelling People -- the British people of Nomadic life style -- are known as Summer Walkers in the Highlands of Scotland. The documentary talks about their Celtic origin, their culture and shows examples of their craftsmanship. 1977. 63 min. Video/C 981

Suspino: A Cry for Roma

Examines the persecution and discrimination inflicted upon European Roma, or Gypsies as they are pejoratively called. Focuses on Romania, where Europe's largest concentration of Roma are considered "public enemies" -- and Italy, where the Roma are classified as nomads and forced to live in camps while being denied human rights available to refugees and foreign residents. 2003. 72 min. DVD 3224

Description of the video from Bullfrog Films catalog

Time of the Barmen (Tempus de baristas)

Profiles three generations of goatherders in the mountains of eastern Sardinia while exploring a traditional way of life that is rapidly disappearing. 17-year-old Pietro, is thinking of going on to secondary school (in hotel management), an aim his father Franchisco supports, although he would also like him to stay in the mountains. A friend, Miminu, in his forties, loves the life but is struggling to make a living, and still unmarried, faces increasing isolation. 1993. 102 min. DVD X3266

Berkeley Media LLC catalog description

Marazzi, Antonio. "Tempus De Baristas (Time of The Barmen): A Bildungsfilm." Visual Anthropology Review, Volume 10, Issue 2 (September 1994) Pages: 86-90 UC users only

Salzman, Philip Carl. "Tempus de baristas." American Anthropologist, Volume 101, Issue 3 (September 1999) Pages: 631-634 UC users only

The Venice Gondola Pageant

Presents the Regata Storica, a great water pageant in Venice, Italy, featuring standing oarsmen in period costume re-enacting the pirate raid. The races and parades of crafts in addition to concerts and exhibitions add to a grand spectacle. 1986. 30 min. Video/C 8629

The Village.

Records everyday life in the village of Dunquin in County Kerry, Ireland during the summer of 1967. Shows the society of the village before extensive acculturation by tourists. In Gaelic with English subtitles. Accompanying study guide [Video/C 6284 GUIDE] includes bibliography. Producer, Colin Young ; directors, Walter Goldschmidt, Colin Young. 70 min. DVD 9384 [preservation copy]; Video/C 6284

Henley, Paul

"The origins of observational cinema : conversations with Colin Young." In: Memories of the origins of ethnographic film / Beate Engelbrecht (ed.). Frankfurt am Main ; New York : Peter Lang, 2007. (Main (Gardner) Stacks GN347 M46 2007)

MacDougall, David. "Colin Young, Ethnographic Film and the Film Culture of the 1960s." Visual Anthropology Review Volume 17. Issue 2. September 2001 (Pages 81 - 88) UC users only

MacDougall, Judith

"Colin Young and running around with a camera / Judith MacDougall." In: Memories of the origins of ethnographic film / Beate Engelbrecht (ed.). Frankfurt am Main ; New York : Peter Lang, 2007. (Main (Gardner) Stacks GN347 M46 2007)

Young, Colin. "Observational Cinema." In: Principles of visual anthropology / edited by Paul Hockings. Berlin ; New York : Mouton de Gruyter, 2003. (Anthropology GN347 .P75 2003)

We Have No War-Songs: Gypsies: the Professional Amateurs of Life.

Since their appearance in Europe first recorded in the 14th century, the Gypsies have always struggled for the freedom to live their own lives in their own way. They have been persecuted, tortured, expelled and killed, and yet remain unique as the only nation of people that have never written or sung war songs. Filmed at the seven day gathering of thousands of Gypsies from all over the World in Saintes Maires de-la Mer in the South of France, this film celebrates the unique nature of the Gypsy people and poses questions of tolerance and individuality in today's increasingly materialistic and nationalistic world. A documentary by Izzy Abrahami and Erga Netzc1995. 53 min. Video/C 6338

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Middle East

Film Class

Filmmaker Uri Rosenwaks traveled to Rahat, a Bedouin town in Israel's Negev Desert, to teach a group of Afro-Bedouin women how to make films. Over the course of eighteen months the group began to explore its own history, i.e., as descendents of Africans kidnapped and sold as slaves to white Bedouins, and remaining enslaved until about 50 years ago. This documentary is the result of their investigations. c2006. 56 min. DVD 8977

Grass: A Nation's Battle for Life.

A documentary in which Merian C. Cooper, Ernest Schoedsack, and Marguerite Harrison travel through Asia Minor and Iraq to reach a tribe of nomads in Iran known as the Bakhtyari. They follow the tribe on its forty-eight day trek across deserts, streams, and mountains to reach pasture for their flocks. These three people were the first Westerners to cross the Zardeh Kuh Pass and the first to make this migration with the tribes. Videodisc release of a 1925 motion picture. Bonus feature: Film historian Rudy Behlmer audio interview with producer-director Merian C. Cooper. 71 min. DVD 1931

Description from Milestone Film & Video catalog

Hajj: Drinking from the Stream.

A film by Claire Dannenbaum. "Hajj is an experimental ethnography looking at acts of resistence and empowerment in the everyday life of Turkish and Kurdish women. This project explores the notion of performance in everyday life--forms of activity which would otherwise be censurable, dangerous, or threatening--in the context of a gender-segregated and patriarchal culture. While Hajj is not an anthropological film per se, it attempts to counter mainstream ethnographic preoccupation with esoteric or ritual activity (special occasions and "public: culture typically carried out by/for men) by looking at "non-events," or the performative elements in women's domestic tasks. Using footage of village life and women at work, the film addresses the multiple meanings behind women's domestic labor, and the potential social power derived from the marginalized activity of home." [filmmakers description] 20 min. Video/C 4476

Patterns of Subsistance: Hunter-Gatherers and Pastoralists

This is the first of a two-part examination of various subsistance patterns. Selected roles among the Kung, the Mbuti and the Nuer of Africa, the Netsilik Eskimos, and the Basseri of Iran are used to illustrate the patterns and relationships. 1983. 30 min. Video/C 577

People of the Wind

A documentary in which the Babadi, a nomadic tribe belonging to the Bakhtiaries of Iran, annually migrate across the Zagros Mountains from winter to summer pasture with their herds of sheep. The people are led by Jafar Qoli, the Kalanter (chief) of the Babadi groups who assumes responsibility for the trek. Directed by Anthony Howarth ; written by David Koff. 1977. 110 min. DVD 1932

The Pupil of Her Hand, In the Palm of Her Eye.

A film by Claire Dannenbaum. "A visual exploration of an invisible phenomenon, The Pupil of Her Hand In the Palm of Her Eye maps the cross-cultural and personal journey of the filmmaker's search for an elusive subject, the evil eye. Using footage shot in Morocco, the film traces the irony of looking, gazing and glancing in Moroccan women's culture, where such actions are heavily coded and controlled. Ultimately, an evocation of references that lead to and hover about the evil eye, the film suggests the inherent complexity of ethnographic documents portraying another culture." (filmmaker's description) 10 min. Video/C 4475

Women of the Sand

Documentary about the nomadic Muslim women of the Sahara desert. Filmed in Mauritania, West Africa, the film follows the day-to-day activities of these women, documenting their work, family and community life, expectations and emotions. Directed by Ricardo Lobo. Dist.: Third World Newsreel. c2003. 52 min. DVD X5436

Woven Gardens (Tribal Eye).

Examines the woven rugs of the Qashqai tribe of Iran and explains how the rugs are made, what functions they serve, and the significance of the traditional symbols used in their design. 52 min. Video/C 179

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United States

African American Studies videography

Asian American Studies videography

Always for Pleasure.

A film by Les Blank. Part 1 captures the music, food, and street celebrations that typify New Orleans. Part 2 focuses on the annual revival of Black Indian social and cultural traditions, featuring Wild Tchoupitoulas and other Black Indian tribes as they prepare for and celebrate Mardi Gras. Dist.: Flower Films. 58 min. Video/C 1830

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Clip 3 (requires Real Media Player)

American Gypsy: A Stranger in Everybody's Land

America is home to one million Gypsies, or Rom, whose rich culture has long been mysterious to outsiders. A flamboyant Romani leader -- defying widely held stereotypes and his own people's code of secrecy -- invites the viewer into this world when it comes under treat. He leads us through the history of his people through civil rights courts, Las Vegas casinos and beyond. Written, produced and directed by Jasmine Dellal. 1999. 80 min. DVD X5722; Video/C 7455

American Tongues.

Illustrates various dialects of the English language within the United States and various attitudes about regional, social, and ethnic differences in American speech. 53 min. Video/C 993

Amerikanuak: the Basques of the American West.

Contemporary interviews and festival activities are combined with archival photographs and maps to present a brief introduction to American Basques and their culture. 28 min. Video/C 2312

The Amish (Multicultural Peoples of North America; 2.)

Celebrates the heritage of the Amish by tracing the history of their emigration to North America, showing the unique traditions they brought with them and who they are today. Discusses when and why they emigrated, where they settled, which occupations they engaged in and who the important Amish leaders are in North America today. 30 min. Video/C 3289

The Amish and Us

An offbeat and sometimes amusing look at the growing commerce between the traditional Amish of Lancaster County, Pennsylvania and the millions of tourists who visit them every year. This film examines the effect of suburban sprawl on Amish farming and the increasing reliance by the Amish on craft and construction businesses for their livelihood. Although the tourist trade is a boon to the Amish, the constant contact with outsiders threatens to erode the traditional values that undergird the Amish way of life. 1997. 57 min. Video/C 5627

The Amish: Not to Be Modern.

Provides a rare look at a community that separates itself from most modern technology. Shows Amish people performing farm work, creating elaborate quilts, and attending schools. Examines the religious reasons for their unusual life-style. 57 min. Video/C 2237

Ave Maria: The Story of the Fisherman's Feast

Held each year in Boston's Italian-American north end, the Feast of the Madonna del Soccoroso (also known as the Fisherman's Feast) is one of the most striking examples of the preservation of Old World cultural traditions. The feast culminates in the "angel ceremony," in which a young girl dressed as an angel "flies" by means of a pulley system three stories over the crowd below. 1986. 24 min. Video/C 8597

Being a Joines: A Life in the Brushy Mountains.

Looks at the life and tales of storyteller John E. Joines and his family from the Brushy Mountains of western North Carolina. Tells also of life in Appalachia during the first part of the twentieth century. 55 min. Video/C 852

View this video online (via folkstreams.net)

Beyond Measure: Appalachian Culture and Economy.

Discusses the effect of coal and natural gas mining on the traditional Appalachian way of life and the environment. 1995. 58 min. Video/C 5289

Boneshop of the Heart: Folk Offerings from the American South.

Explores a rich vein of American individuality through incisive portraits of five contemporary southern folk artists four of whom are African American. Includes interviews with the folk artists Enoch Tanner Wickham, Charlie Lucas, Vollis Simpson, Thornton Dial Sr., Bessie Harvey, Lonnie Bradley Holley. 1990. 53 min. Video/C MM612

Born For Hard Luck.

A biographical study of Arthur Jackson, known as Peg Leg Sam, a Black street corner musician, telling of his days as a hobo and performer with patent medicine shows in the South. 30 min. Video/C 890

View this video online (via folkstreams.net)

Chase the Devil: Religious Music of the Appalachian Mountains.

Religious music in the Southern Appalachians covers a wide panorama. At one extreme, is the idea that any music is the "devil's work," at the other is hard driving, rhythmic music. Focuses on the Holiness church experience depicting the exhuberant preaching and singing. 50 min. Video/C 3263

Crawfish and Freys.

Visits with the Frey family of southern Louisiana. By capturing the unique flavor of their crawfish and rice-based economy, the rhythms, tones, and melodies of their dialect and musical traditions, and the pride they take in their work, the film provides a remarkable depiction of how families can create identity and culture. 1997. 29 min. Video/C MM844

Dark Days.

Documentary about a community of homeless people living in a train tunnel beneath Manhattan. Depicts a way of life that is unimaginable to most of those who walk the streets above: in the pitch black of the tunnel, rats swarm through piles of garbage as high-speed trains leaving Penn station tear through the darkness. For some of those who have gone underground, it has been home for as long as 25 years. 2000. 84 min. DVD 854

A Day on the Bay.

Documentary on Italian fishermen immigrants from Riva Trigoso, Italy and their descendants in Santa Cruz, Calif. 27 min. Video/C 2186

Devil's Playground.

Looks at the Pennsylvania Dutch tradition of rumspringa which is a period in a teenager's life during which they are set free to explore the world outside the Amish life so that they can make an informed decision before they make a commitment to join the church at adulthood. This documentary follows four teenagers in their time of discovery. c2002 77 min. DVD 1607; also VHS Video/C MM231

Dry Wood.

A film by Les Blank. Documents the music and customs of French-speaking Blacks in southwest Louisiana. Focuses on two families in a rice farming community, capturing their humble, open lives through their older, rural style of Cajun music. With some captions. Dist.: Flower Films. 37 min. DVD 4979; vhs Video/C 1306

View this video online (via folkstreams.net)

From the Brothers Grimm--American Versions of Folktale Classics.

See Fantasty Films/Fairytales

From the Deep Grapevine

This lively documentary explores the French heritage of southwestern Louisiana: the language, traditions, art, food and above all, the music of the Cajun and Creole peoples in this region known as Acadiana. Featured in the film is the Festival International de Louisianne, a six-day celebration of the area's francophonic roots and cultural influences. Produced-directed by Amy Kalafa and Alex Gunuey. 1993. 58 min. Video/C MM733

Garlic Is As Good As Ten Mothers

A film by Les Blank. Celebrates the virtues of garlic, from a Chinese restaurant's sizzling wok to the stuffed piglet specialty of Berkeley's Chez Panisse and the garlic festival at Gilroy, Calif. Garlic enthusiasts describe the bulb's role in history, its medicinal qualities, and their own favorite garlic concoctions. Dist.: Flower Films. 1980. 51 min. Video/C 1835

Clip 1 (requires Real Player Player)

Clip 2 (requires Real Player Player)

Georgia Sea Island Singers

Presents pure spirituals sung as they were 100 years ago on St. Simon's, an isolated island off the Georgia coast. Each song is introduced by explanatory titles and is first sung unaccompanied by two men and three women, then later performed accompanied by a tamborine, a broom handle on a board, and dancing. Filmed by Bess Lomax Hawes. 1963. 12 min. Video/C MM577

The Good Times are Killing Me

Filmed on location in Southwestern Louisiana in 1975, this documentary presents a portrait of Cajun culture. Focusing on the Cajuns' strong cultural identity, the filmmakers document the integral role that music plays in passing traditions from generation to generation. Looking at the events leading up to Mardi Gras, the tape visits women at a beauty parlor, the drag preparations of the "barber's son," and, finally, the pageantry of the celebration itself. At the heart of the tape is accordionist Nathan Abshire, whose jaunty stage manner belies a difficult and harsh life. Abshire is seen as representative of the Cajun culture, which has survived two hundred years of persecution and misunderstanding with its humor and idiosyncracies intact. Filmed by Hudson Marquez and Allen Rucker. Produced by TVTV and WNET Television Laboratory. Dist.: Electronic Arts Intermix. 58 min. Video/C MM1176

Graffiti Verite: Read the Writing on the Wall

Los Angeles graffiti artists discuss the themes and motivations of their work, and how they evolved from taggers to artists. Several are shown at work on projects, indoors as well as outside. The history and significance of graffiti is addressed, as is its role in the Hip Hop culture. 45 min. Video/C 4469

GV2: Graffiti Verite 2

A follow-up film to the award winning documentary Graffiti Verite. Includes interviews with more graffiti artists and street scenes with over 400 tags, throw-ups and pieces of "street art" all presented to a backdrop of Hip Hop music. Includes coverage of the winning artwork of the First International Graffiti Art Competition. 1998. 58 min. Video/C 5719

GV3: Graffiti Verite 3 (The Final Episode)

The Final Episode is a poetic voyage, a meditation, into the iconography of Graffiti art featuring an eclectic sound track as it's emotional and intellectual core. "GV3 is a compelling sensorial experience; shockingly honest and defiantly politically incorrect." c2000. 54 min. Video/C 7118

Gullah Tales.

Gullah tales is a film fable set in 1830's in Southern Georgia and South Carolina and is based on folklore of peoples of African descent. 30 min. Video/C 2880

The Hasidim.

Explores the history, traditions, ceremonies, and practices of the Hasidic community of New York to show why the Hasidim have flourished and influenced other Jews. 29 min. Video/C 3727

The Heart Broken in Half

An in-depth look at the street gangs of the Albany Park neighborhood in Chicago and the socio-economic conditions that give rise to them. Includes comments by neighborhood residents, interviews with several young gang members, scenes from the funeral and burial of a gang member who was killed in the street, and an extensive analysis of the intricate network of symbols, logos and icons (expressed in graffiti) that serve the gangs as a complex visual code for displaying identity and challenging rivals. Based on the ethnographic fieldwork of Dwight Conquergood. 1990. 57 min. DVD X248

Holy Ghost People.

A report on the religious fervor of a small Pentecostal congregation in West Virginia whose fundamentalist philosophy encourages the biblical teaching of speaking in tongues and handling serpents. A film by Peter Adair 1983. 52 min. DVD 4054 (preservation copy); also VHS Video/C 2122

The Hutterites: To Care and Not to Care

A documentary exploring many facets of life in North American Hutterite communities. The Hutterites immigrated from Russia in the 1870's and maintain a medieval village pattern living in collective agricultural communities. They live simply but do employ technological innovations that will benefit the community, whereas items that promote individual comfort or entertainment are considered subversive to communal life. Five years in the making, this film marks the first time a U.S. film producer has been allowed access to Hutterite colonies. 1993. 59 min. Video/C 5797

In Heaven there is No Beer?

Shows Polish-American polka musicians and polka dancers performing at festivals, dance halls, and small beer halls in the eastern and midwestern parts of the United States. Features the music of Eddie Blazoncyck and the Versatones, the Dick Pillar Orchestra, Renata and Girls, Girls, Girls, and the Mrozinski Brothers. 51 min. Video/C 2111

Island of Saints and Souls.

A documentary showing how the Catholic traditions of numerous immigrant groups have influenced and contributed to the rich cultural texture of New Orleans. Takes the viewer through a year in the life of the city, exploring its colorful history, traditions, customs and feast days. 1990. 29 min. Video/C MM551

J'ai Ete au Bal (I Went to the Dance).

A film by Les Blank. Looks at the Cajun-zydeco countryside, its people and their dance halls blended with wonderful performances of the music and the recollections of its musicians. Features historical sequences about Joe Falcon, Amede Ardoin, Iry LeJeune, Harry Choates and others. Dist.: Flower Films. 84 min. Video/C 1829

Clip 1 (requires Real Media Player )

ABC-CLIO Video Rating Guide for Libraries

Brassieur, C. Ray. "J'ai Ete au Bal (I Went to the Dance): The Cajun and Zydeco Music of Louisiana." (movie reviews) Ethnomusicology v37, n1 (Wntr, 1993):149 (3 pages).

Lindahl, Carl. "J'ai Ete au Bal (I Went to the Dance): The Cajun and Zydeco Music of Louisiana." (movie reviews) Journal of American Folklore v106, n422 (Fall, 1993):484 (58 pages).

Whitehead, Kevin. "J'ai Ete au Bal." (video recording reviews) Down Beat v58, n4 (April, 1991):61.

In Her Own Time

Focuses on cultural anthropologist Barbara Myerhoff's study of the community of Hasidic Jews in Los Angeles's Fairfax neighborhood. Also relates how, after exhausting medical treatment for cancer, she found strength among the traditions, faith, and caring of these Orthodox Jews. Directed by Lynne Littman. 1985. Dist.: Direct Cinema. 60 min. DVD 9287; vhs Video/C 9591

Number Our Days

Long Journey Home.

The film is a study of a contemporary Appalachian family that moved to a large city and then returned to the Appalachian region. It is a documentary about migration and the struggle of people racked by economic imperatives and their desire to maintain a homeplace. 1987. 58 min. Video/C 5288

The Love Prophet and the Children of God.

A riveting inside look at one of the world's most enigmatic religious movements and its infamous founder, David Berg. Bringing together a band of hippies and drop-outs in 1968 Berg preached the notorious practice of sleeping with potential converts to win over souls. Branded the "sex for salvation cult" by the media, this bizarre sexual approach enticed a new flock of converts swelling membership to well over 50,000 by the late seventies. c1998. 57 min. Video/C 8971

The Moveable Feast

Every August in Boston's North End, a group of Italian-Americans celebrate the Feast of the Madonna del Soccoroso, also known as the Fisherman's Feast. This is a tradition originating in Sicily and practiced for over 80 years in the United States. This documentary is about a group of descendants who went to Sciacca, Sicily to experience the feast. 1986. 29 min. Video/C 2359

My Town (Mio Paese)

Shows immigrants from Palermiti, Italy, in their Massachusettes communities ; shows the enduring links of customs between the two groups of Palermitesi ; shows the patron saint's feast day of La Festa della Madonna della Luce (The Feast of the Madonna of Light). Written, produced and directed by Katherine Gulla. 1992. 26 min. Video/C 8598

View this video online (via folkstreams.net)

New Orleans' Black Indians: A Case Study in the Arts

Pre-lenten Mardi Gras in New Orleans serves as the background for this study of a mixture between American Indians and Blacks who compose the Black Indian tribes of New Orleans. The traditions, costumes, songs and dances date back more than 100 years and create living history of their folk art which is passed from generation to generation. 1983. 23 min. Video/C 9885

Number our Days.

Interviews conducted by anthropologist Barbara G. Myerhoff to document lives of Jewish senior citizens of Israel Levin Senior Adult Center, Venice, Calif. Produced and directed by Lynne Littman. Dist.: Direct Cinema. DVD 9288; vhs Video/C 2150

In Her Own Time

The Order of Myths

The first Mardi Gras in America was celebrated in Mobile, Alabama in 1703. In 2007, it is still racially segregated. Filmmaker Margaret Brown, herself a daughter of Mobile, escorts us into the parallel hearts of the city's two carnivals. With unprecedented access, she traces the exotic pageantry, diamond-encrusted crowns, voluminous, hand-sewn gowns, surreal masks and enormous paper mache floats. Against this opulent backdrop, she uncovers a tangled web of historical violence and power dynamics, elusive forces that keep this hallowed tradition organized along enduring color lines. Directed by Margaret Brown ; produced by Margaret Brown, Sara Alize Cross. Dist. Cinema Guild. c2008. 77 min. DVD X356

Pizza Pizza Daddy-o.

Shows Afro-American girls playing singing games on a Los Angeles playground. Provides an anthropological and folkloric record of eight of these games. Directed and written by Bess Lomax Hawes and Bob Eberlein. 1968. 18 min. Video/C MM573

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Quilts in Women's Lives.

Seven contemporary quiltmakers, among them a California Mennonite, a Black Mississippian, and a Bulgarian immigrant talk about their art, its importance in their lives, and how it is influenced by their daily experiences. A film by Pat Ferrero. 28 min. Video/C 4126

View this video online (via folkstreams.net)

Kaplan, Anne R. "Quilts in Women's Lives: Six Portraits." (video recording reviews) Oral History Review v18, n1 (Spring, 1990):122 (3 pages)

Raise the Dead.

A documentary journey into the Pentecostal tents and storefronts of Appalachia. This film explores the land, people and milieu of a misunderstood and largely undocumented religious tradition, poignantly capturing the spiritual depth and social compassion that has often been glibly caricatured by outsiders. c1998. 54 min. Video/C 7199

Rapture..

Film is about crossing the line between physical pain and spiritual ecstasy. Urban dancers hang beautiful weighted balls from temporary piercings in their skin and dance to ecstasy. A contemporary version of an ancient rite of passage, Rapture explores the link between medieval Christian mystics and modern acolytes who seek knowledge beyond the bounds of the physical. 1992. 8 min. Video/C 4907

Release Me O' Lord: Black Indian Mardi Gras

It's Mardi Gras morning in New Orleans, Louisiana, and Black Indian tribes are dancing and singing their way through neighborhood streets. The performace features elaborate costumes, dance and verbal battles as the Black Indian tribes of New Orleans perform dances, music and songs to symbolically triumph over oppression, as their Maroon ancestors actually did over the evil institution of slavery. Written and produced by Teri S. Massoth. 1999. 15 min. Video/C 8710

Road Scholar.

Satirical poet, Andrei Codrescu takes a six week, 4,500 mile odyssey across America in a cherry-red '68 Cadillac convertible. From the Statue of Liberty to the Golden Gate he makes impromptu detours along the way in search of a nation's heart and soul, meeting an unforgettable assortment of Americans from across the country. Andrei's odyssey is a delightful, ironic and vividly drawn portrait of America in all of its confounding diversity. Based on Codrescu's book of the same time (Morrison Rm E169.O4.C63 1993; Bancroft E169.O4.C63 1993 Non-circulating; may be used only in The Bancroft Library). 82 min. Video/C 4329

The Shakers.

Discusses the growth and decline of Shaker communal living. 30 min. Video/C 889

A Sound Baptism.

Examines an Afro-American Christian church in which jazz music is the dominant element of the church service. Produced by students enrolled in Ethnographic Film (Anthropology138B) at the University of California, Berkeley, Dept. of Anthropology. 22 min. Video/C 3987

The Shakers--Hands to Work, Hearts to God.

A historical documentary on an American religious sect which, at its height in 1840, included six thousand believers. Touches first on the Shaker's superficial identity as celibate chairmakers, then pursues their historical and social significance through the use of archival photos, paintings, live shots of landscapes and architecture, and on-camera interviews. 58 min. Video/C 802

Spend It All.

A film by Les Blank. Presents the history, dances, leisure, people, and places of Louisiana's Cajun country. Captures the bravado and vitality of the Cajun people in various social and cultural activities, along with the music of the Balfa Brothers, Marc Avoy, Nathan Abshire, and others. Dist.: Flower Films. 41 min. Video/C 1302

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Stigmata: The Transfigured Body.

Women discuss tattooing and body piercing and the link between these practices and women's empowerment. 1992. 27 min. Video/C 4926

Strangers and Kin.

Discusses prejudices against "southern hillbillies" using old filmclips, drama, interviews, music, etc. Shows the exploitation of the mountain people by both writers and industrialists. Examines the effects of the Tennessee Valley Authority. Studies the cultural heritage of those who live in the southern mountains. Dist.: Appalshop. 59 min. Video/C 2375

Style Wars.

A documentary exploration of the subculture of New York's young graffiti writers and breakdancers, showing their activities and aspirations and the social and aesthetic controversies surrounding New York graffiti. Dramatizes conflicts between graffitists and the city, as well as among the graffitists themselves. 60 min. DVD 1668; also on VHS Video/C 2127

View this video online (via folkstreams.net)

Talking Feet.

Documentary filmed in West Virginia, Kentucky, Virginia and North Carolina featuring flatfoot, buck, hoedown and rural tap dancing, the styles of solo Southern dancing which are companions to oldtime music and on which modern clog dancing is based.90 min. Video/C 3562

Tex-Mex: Music of the Texas Mexican Borderlands.

Tex-Mex music is an exuberant style with a Mexican soul and a rock'n'roll heart. It combines styles of corrida, norteno and others, is full of joy and energy, but carries significance through its lyrics about social problems. Musicians are shown in performance and conversation. Video/C 3453

The Undertaking.

Enters the world of Thomas Lynch, a writer, poet and undertaker whose family has cared for the dead -- and the living-- in a small Michigan town for three generations. For the first time, Lynch has allowed cameras inside Lynch & Sons, giving behind-the-scenes access -- from funeral arrangements to the embalming room. Tells the intimate stories of families coming to terms with grief, mortality and a funeral's rituals. Film includes excerpts from Lynch's book "The Undertaking: Life Studies from the Dismal Trade." Originally aired nationwide on PBS stations Tuesday, October 30, 2007. 60 min. DVD 9556

A Well-Spent Life.

A film by Les Blank. Explores the black culture of rural Texas through the life of 75-year-old Mance Lipscomb, songster, sharecropper, and sage. Dist.: Flower Films. 44 min. DVD 4968; vhs Video/C 2110

Clip 1 (requires Real Media Player)

ABC-CLIO Video Rating Guide for Libraries

Yeah You Rite!

The English language as spoken in New Orleans has been influenced by the city's rich and varied history, leaving it with dozens of unique words and phrases that all New Orleanians understand but which frequently baffle visitors.29 min. min. Video/C 2902

Yiddish, The Mame-Loshn= Yiddish, the Mother Tongue.

Filmed in Los Angeles and New York, documentary examining the importance of the Yiddish language and culture to American Jews today through interviews, films, poetry and Yiddish music.58 min. Video/C 3197

Yo Soy Hechicero (I Am a Sorcerer)

It's all in a day's work for Juan Eduardo Nunuz, a Cuban refugee who leads a religious congregation in a backyard garden shed in a subdivision near Atlantic City, New Jersey. This neopagan religious cult deals in spirit possession, animal sacrifice, mythic storytelling and physical healing. Juan Eduardo's wife, a Pentacostal, claims that her husband is an instrument of Satan. 48 min. Video/C 4669

Yo Soy Hechicero web site

Yum, Yum, Yum: A Taste of the Cajun and Creole Cooking of Louisiana.

An introduction to the Cajun and Creole cooking of Lousiana. Dist.: Flower Films. 31 min. Video/C 2128

ABC-CLIO Video Rating Guide for Libraries

Gutierrez, Paige. "Yum, Yum, Yum!: A Taste of the Cajun and Creole Cooking of Louisiana." (video recording reviews) Journal of American Folklore v107, n424 (Spring, 1994):316 (3 pages).

Ziveli: Medicine for the Heart.

A film by Les Blank. A look at the culture and music of the Serbian American communities of Chicago and California, focusing on the cultural strengths of these immigrants who helped form the backbone of industrial America. Dist.: Flower Films. 51 min. Video/C 3554

(Requires Real Media Player)

Forry, Mark E. "Ziveli: Medicine for the Heart." (movie reviews)Ethnomusicology v33, n2 (Spring-Summer, 1989):365 (3 pages).

Patterson, G. James. "Ziveli: Medicine for the Heart." (movie reviews) American Anthropologist v90, n2 (June, 1988):485 (2 pages).

Festivals, Carnivals, Pageants, and Other Public Celebrations

North America | Beauty Pageants | Mexico, South America, and the Caribbean | Europe | Asia

Religions and Myths of the World (for works about religious festivals and pilgrimages

North America

Always for Pleasure.

A film by Les Blank. Part 1 captures the music, food, and street celebrations that typify New Orleans. Part 2 focuses on the annual revival of Black Indian social and cultural traditions, featuring Wild Tchoupitoulas and other Black Indian tribes as they prepare for and celebrate Mardi Gras. 58 min. Video/C 1830

Clip 2 (requires Real Media Player)

Clip 3 (requires Real Media Player)

Ave Maria: The Story of the Fisherman's Feast

Held each year in Boston's Italian-American north end, the Feast of the Madonna del Soccoroso (also known as the Fisherman's Feast) is one of the most striking examples of the preservation of Old World cultural traditions. The feast culminates in the "angel ceremony," in which a young girl dressed as an angel "flies" by means of a pulley system three stories over the crowd below. 1986. 24 min. Video/C 8597

The Blinking Madonna & Other Miracles.

Producer/director/writer, Beth Harrington. After recording an Italian-American religious festival in Boston's North End with her camcorder, Beth Harrington's neighbors tell her they see a miracle on the videotape: a statue of the Virgin Mary blinking its eyes. To her amazement, and in spite of her lapsed religious beliefs, she must admit that her life has been transformed by the event. And when the press gets ahold of the story what ensues is an amusing look at what it means to believe and to belong. 1997. 57 min. Video/C 5041

Description of the video from New Day Films catalog

Martin, James. The Blinking Madonna and Other Miracles. (movie reviews) America v176, n21 (June 21, 1997):23.

Garofalo, Denise A. "The Blinking Madonna and Other Miracles." (video recording reviews) Library Journal v122, n9 (May 15, 1997):115 (2 pages).

James, Caryn. "The Blinking Madonna and Other Miracles." (video recording reviews) New York Times v146 (Mon, May 12, 1997):B2(N), C14(L), col 2, 7 col in.

Burning Man Beyond Black Rock, An Authorized Documentary

Featuring: Larry Harvey, David Best, Marian Goodell, Will Roger, Harley Dubois, Danger Ranger, Crimson Rose. For seven days and nights, Black Rock City in Nevada stands as a community free of commerce, bound by a social contract of tolerance and cooperation, dedicated to art and self-expression. Then it disappears without a trace. The filmmakers spent 18 months with the founders, organizers, artists and participants to document the full complexity and diversity of the Burning Man community ... and their plans to bring its unique culture to the rest of the world. Special features: Over 2 hours of deleted scenes; extended interviews with the cast; outtakes; bonus 16-minute short film "Preacher with an unknown God." 2006. 106 min. DVD 6864

The Burning Man Festival [1996]

Burning Man festival (40 min.) -- Burning man: just add couches (50 min.) Commentary: Larry Harvey (director, Burning Man festival), John Law (technical director) Burning man festival: An indepth look at the Festival described as semi-structured anarchy; "a laboratory ... for reinventing civilization." Shows the construction of the 4 story high "Man" with interviews with the director of the festival, technical director and construction forman of "The Man." In "Just add couches" Joe Winston and his friends return to the festival and create the "Couch potato camp." "What this festival really needs is a living room setting, where people can watch TV and drink beer,"....which is harder than it looks with the nearest hardware store 50 miles away. c1997. DVD 6863; vhs Video/C 8366 (Burning Man Fesival only)

Burning Man Festival, 1994.

A stunning visual portrait of the Burning Man Festival in Nevada's Black Rock Desert. Includes interviews with the creators of various performance art pieces. See a jet-propelled rocket car, a giant shark car, a dragon spouting fire, decorated "art cars", buses and persons. Concludes with the ritual destruction of a 4 story tall Burning Man. One of the most unique cultural events in late 20th century American culture. 48 min. Video/C 4774

From the Deep Grapevine

This lively documentary explores the French heritage of southwestern Louisiana: the language, traditions, art, food and above all, the music of the Cajun and Creole peoples in this region known as Acadiana. Featured in the film is the Festival International de Louisianne, a six-day celebration of the area's francophonic roots and cultural influences. Directed by Amy Kalafa and Alex Gunuey. c1993. 58 min. Video/C MM733

Girls in White Dresses

This documentary follows the debutante season of six middle-class African-American young women in Oxnard, California. The film explores the history of the debutante tradition in the African-American community and whether it is still a valid "rite of passage" for young women today. Directed by Ronisa Wilkins Shoate. c2009. 27 min. DVD X4989

Description from Filmakers Library catalog

Hello Columbus.

This delightful look at the Italian-American Columbus Day celebration in San Francisco features that inimitable man-on-the-street reporter, Mal Sharpe. He leads the viewer through highlights of the celebration and enlivens the proceedings by posing a variety of offbeat and thorny questions to participants and bystanders alike. 1987. 27 min. Video/C MM847

Mardi Gras: Made in China

Filmed on location in Fuzhou, China and New Orleans, Louisiana, the film follows "The Bead Trail" backwards from the bacchanalia at Mardi Gras to the factories in Fuzhou where the beads are made. The film comments on the inequities of globalization by illuminating the clash of cultures by juxtaposing American excess and consumer culture against the harsh life of the Chinese factory worker. This version includes post-Hurricane Katrina updates. Special features: Deleted scenes from the factory and Mardi Gras (ca. 4 min.) ; additional interviews with factory workers Ling Ling, Ga Hong, and Lio Lina, and New Orleans bead artist, John Lawson ; Mardi Gras short (ca. 7 min.). Directed, produced, and edited by David Redmon. c2008. 74 min. DVD X4171

The Moveable Feast

Every August in Boston's North End, a group of Italian-Americans celebrate the Feast of the Madonna del Soccoroso, also known as the Fisherman's Feast. This is a tradition originating in Sicily and practiced for over 80 years in the United States. This documentary is about a group of descendants who went to Sciacca, Sicily to experience the feast.1992. 29 min. Video/C 8598

My Town (Mio Paese)

Shows immigrants from Palermiti, Italy, in their Massachusettes communities ; shows the enduring links of customs between the two groups of Palermitesi ; shows the patron saint's feast day of La Festa della Madonna della Luce (The Feast of the Madonna of Light). Written, produced and directed by Katherine Gulla. 1992. 26 min. Video/C 8598

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New Orleans' Black Indians: A Case Study in the Arts

Pre-lenten Mardi Gras in New Orleans serves as the background for this study of a mixture between American Indians and Blacks who compose the Black Indian tribes of New Orleans. The traditions, costumes, songs and dances date back more than 100 years and create living history of their folk art which is passed from generation to generation. 1983. 23 min. Video/C 9885

The Order of Myths

The first Mardi Gras in America was celebrated in Mobile, Alabama in 1703. In 2007, it is still racially segregated. Filmmaker Margaret Brown, herself a daughter of Mobile, escorts us into the parallel hearts of the city's two carnivals. With unprecedented access, she traces the exotic pageantry, diamond-encrusted crowns, voluminous, hand-sewn gowns, surreal masks and enormous paper mache floats. Against this opulent backdrop, she uncovers a tangled web of historical violence and power dynamics, elusive forces that keep this hallowed tradition organized along enduring color lines. Directed by Margaret Brown ; produced by Margaret Brown, Sara Alize Cross. Dist. Cinema Guild. c2008. 77 min. DVD X356

Release Me O' Lord: Black Indian Mardi Gras

It's Mardi Gras morning in New Orleans, Louisiana, and Black Indian tribes are dancing and singing their way through neighborhood streets. The performace features elaborate costumes, dance and verbal battles as the Black Indian tribes of New Orleans perform dances, music and songs to symbolically triumph over oppression, as their Maroon ancestors actually did over the evil institution of slavery. Written and produced by Teri S. Massoth. 1999. 15 min. Video/C 8710

The Renaissance Pleasure Faire

Presents music, dances, entertainments and dramas performed during the Renaissance Pleasure Faire festival in Novato, California in 1984. Producer, director, narrator, Hugh Richmond. 1984. Video/C 6213

The Trips Festival Movie

Long before there were raves and the Burning Man Festival, there was the Trips Festival. Many point to this wild weekend in San Francisco, in January, 1966, as the beginning of the Sixties. Features footage of the festival with interviews with Trips Festival organizers including Stewart Brand, Ken Kesey and Bill Graham. Original footage from the festival at the Longshoremen's Hall, North Point, San Francisco, January 21-23, 1966. Bonus features (ca. 40 min.): Ben Van Meter's original Trips Festival film ; panel discussion with Bob Weir, Stewart Brand, Carolyn "Mountain Girl" Garcia, Ramon Sender, Roland Jacopetti, Ben Van Meter and Eric Christensen. 60 min. DVD 8842

Beauty Pagents

Beauty in China

These days, ambitious young women in China feel they have to Westernize their appearance through plastic surgery in order to get ahead. To accomplish the "right look," they visit surgeons to have their legs lengthened, their eyes westernized, and their breasts enlarged. Some of the women end up with terrible physical problems as a result. Every week some 16,000 Chinese undergo face surgery. The film includes a beauty contest for "Miss Nip & Tuck," in which all the contestants are women who have had plastic surgery. Many of their families have spent their life savings to pay for this investment in their daughters. Directed by Elodie Pakosz 2005. 29 min. DVD X348

Filmakers Library catalog description

Cinderella of the Cape Flats(Real stories from a free South Africa; v. 2)

Everyday the working class Coloured women in the garment industry of the windswept flats around Cape Town toil anonymously to make clothes so that other women will look beautiful. Invariably they cannot afford these garments themselves. But for one day a year they come out in all their glory at the Annual Spring Queen pageant. The pageant is created by the workers and their trade union to bring their families together for an evening of solidarity and fun. Set against the preparation for the 2003 pageant, this film explores the lives of working women and celebrates them as creators of beauty. Although the end of apartheid has not taken away the drudgery of repetitive factory labor, this pageant shows working class women inventing their own lively folk culture. A film by Jane Kennedy. 2004. 58 min. DVD 5264

Description from California Newsreel catalog

La Corona (The Crown)

Covers a beauty pageant that is held annually in the National Women's Penitentiary, the largest women's prison in in Bogota, Colombia. Produced and directed by Amanda Micheli and Isabel Vega, 40 min. DVD X2108

Miss America

Tracking the country's oldest beauty contest - from its inception in 1921 as a local seaside pageant to its heyday as one of the country's most popular events - Miss America paints a vivid picture of an institution that has come to reveal much about a changing nation. Using intimate interviews with former contestants, and behind-the-scenes footage and photographs, the film reveals why some women took part in the fledgling event and how the pageant became a battle ground and a barometer for the changing position of women in society. Directed by Lisa Ades. c2002. 102 min. DVD X243

Miss India Georgia.

A film by Daniel Friedman & Sharon Grimberg. This documentary film follows four contestants in the Miss India Georgia pagent and tells the story of their experiences as first generation americans. These young women disclose the complexity of their feelings about growing up in the United States as children of immigrant parents. Produced and directed by Daniel Friedman & Sharon Grimberg. 1997. 56 min. DVD 7297; vhs Video/C 5745

Dave, Shilpa. 'Community Beauty': Transnational Performances and Cultural Citizenship in 'Miss India Georgia'. Lit: Literature Interpretation Theory 2001 Sept; 12(3): 335-58.UC users only

Miss Navajo

Reveals the inner beauty of the young women who compete in the Miss Navajo Nation beauty pageant. Not only must contestants exhibit poise and grace as those in typical pageants, they must also answer tough questions in Navajo and demonstrate proficiency in skills essential to daily tribal life: fry-bread making, rug weaving and sheep butchering. The film follows the path of 21-year old Crystal Frazier, a not-so-fluent Navajo speaker and self-professed introvert, as she undertakes the challenges of the pageant. Produced & directed by Billy Luther. Dist. Cinema Guild. 2006. 53 min. DVD X363

Dowell, K. L. "Performing Culture: Beauty, Cultural Knowledge, and Womanhood in 'Miss Navajo'." Transformations v. 20 no. 1 (Spring/Summer 2009) p. 131-40 UC users only

Miss Universe 1929

Amateur filmmaker Marci Tänzer began to photograph and film his beautiful cousin Lisl when he moved to Vienna from Szeged in the late 1920s. In 1929 she won the title of Miss Austria and later was voted the first Miss Universe. Her privileged life as a beauty queen and later a rich wife ended with the Nazi takeover of Austria, but the two of them eventually married. 70 min. DVD 9806

Miss Universe in Peru (Miss Universo en el Peru)

In 1982 the Miss Universe Pageant was held in Lima, Peru. This program contrasts the public spectacle of the Miss Universe Pageant, its sponsors' commercial promotions, and its presentation on Peruvian television with the economic and political realities of contemporary Peruvian women. A film by Grupo Chaski. 199-?. 40 min. Video/C MM1209; copy 2 Video/C 4221 (Spanish without English subtitles)

Description from Women Make Movies catalog

Up against the Wall Miss America.

A documentary about the disruption of the Miss America pageant of 1968. Guerrilla theater, protest songs, and interviews stress the misuse of women as mindless sexual objects. Footage includes attorney/activist Flo Kennedy. Originally produced in 1968. 6 min. Video/C MM391

Mexico, South America, and the Caribbean

Banderani

Documents an important festival among the Quechua Indians in the Bolivian Andes. Captures the music, dancing, and drinking associated with the festivities and shows an unusual slingshot game in which both men and women participate. Produced and directed by Jeanine Moret. 1987. 28 min. Video/C MM592

Black Music of Brazil.

Street tour of Brazil including visits to ghettos of Rio, Samba schools preparing for Carnival and the African-rooted Bahia region. Includes interview with superstar Gilberto Gil, probing the political impact of his music, and performancesand conversation with other Brazilian performers. Finally there's The Capoeira dancers, performers of a unique martial arts dance which originated in Angola. Film surveys many styles of music of the country including Samba, bossa nova and others. 1990. 50 min. DVD 537; also VHS Video/C 3260

Caribbean Eye: Community Celebrations: Other Caribbean Festivals

This program takes a look at the various folk festivals (other than carnivals) throughout the Caribbean area which help create and sustain a sense of community in a region with a culturally diverse population: the Hindu festival of Phagwa in Trinidad and Guyana; the La Rose and La Marguerite flower festivals in St. Lucia; the Johnkunnoo of Jamaica, Belize and the Bahamas; Masquerade in Guyana and St. Kitts and the Hosein festivals of Trinidad and Jamaica. 1991. 26 min. Video/C 9805

Caribbean Eye: Caribbean Carnivals.

This program shows the Trinidad Carnival and then visits carnivals in Dominica, Grenada, St. Vincent, St. Kitts, Antigua, St. Lucia, Barbados, Jamaica and Martinique, looking at their unique forms and examining their shared role which is essentially the liberation of the spirit. 1991. 26 min. DVD 9813; also on VHS Video/C 9813

Carnaval: Adios a la Carne.

Presents a documentary concerning a religious festival held by the people of Humahuaca, Argentina. VHS format (PAL) In Spanish without subtitles. 199-? 27 min. Video/C MM526

Carnaval de Pueblo: Town Carnival

In Andalusia, Spain, carnival time is big. This film provides a glimpse into the lives of the people, their homes and their families. Carnival is a time of dressing up and coming together. The men write and sing songs about local affairs and social criticism regarding national events. Directed, photographed and edited by Jerome R. Mintz.

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Carnival in Q'eros

Shows the remarkable carnival celebrations of a remote community of Quechusa Indians high in the Peruvian Andes. The Q'eros play flutes and sing to their alpacas in a ritual to promote the animals' fertility. The film shows how the music evolves from individual, to family, to ayllu, to community, a structure of spiritual activity distinct from the structure of kinship. The Q'eros sing and play separately from each other, producing a heterophonic sound without rhythmic beat, harmony, or counterpoint -- a "chaotic" sound texture that exemplifies a key connection between the culture of the Andes and that of the Amazon jungle. Directed by Juan Nunez del Prado and John Cohen. Dist.: Berkeley Media. 1991. 32 min. DVD 7844

Carnaval in Salvador Da Bahia.

An anthropological journey to Brazil to study Carnaval. 1983. DVD 7420; vhs Video/C 2297

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Festive Land: Carnaval in Bahia.

Examines one of the largest popular celebrations in the world, the week-long Carnaval that brings more than two million people to the streets of Salvador, the capital of Bahia, in northeastern Brazil. Showcasing the unique cultural richness of Bahia, the film captures this unique cultural energy through footage of musical performances, dances, religious manifestations, and street celebrations. Throughout, the meaning of the carnival is interpreted and explained by performers, noted Brazilian artists and academics. c2001. 48 min. DVD 5946

Hail Umbanda (Salve a Umbanda).

A documentary about Umbanda, Brazil's fastest-growing religion. Centers on the cult's pageantry and public festivals as well as its more esoteric, exotic, and rarely-seen ceremonies. Shot on location in Rio de Janeiro, Sao Paulo, Brasilia, and Fortazela, this film includes commentary by numerous authorities and practitioners, and it places Umbanda in the context of Brazil's turbulent history and its cultural and racial melting pot. 1988. 46 min Video/C 4361

Kings for a Day.

A portrait of Carnival in Rio, "the greatest show on earth." Profiles a 3000-strong Carnival team in feathers and sequins and follows two rivals from the shanties of a favela as well as a white entreprenuer from the boutiques of Ipanema from their pre-Carnival preparations through the festival and parade. 1987. 60 min. Video/C 9948

Mas Fever: Inside Trinidad Carnival.

Each year just before Lent, the people of Trinidad and Tobago pay homage to life in a spectacular display of West Indian culture and creativity. Preparations begin early in the season and reach a frantic pace on the eve of Carnival. Mas Fever goes behind the scenes for an insider's look at the people and events of this lavish festival. c1989. 55 min. Video/C 6183

The Music of the Devil, The Music of the Bear, The Music of the Condor

Film visits the heart of the Andes to capture the atmosphere of the annual music festivals, showing ceremonies of the Aymara Indians who dress as devils, bears and sacred spirits that come to life at carnival time. The mythology of the powerful Inca gods is explained, as well as their influence in the daily lives of the Aymara. 1989. 54 min. Video/C 4366

On Wings of Faith (En Alas de la Fe)

A visit to two festivals held in the North Sierra of Puebla, Mexico; one to honor Saint Michael the Archangel in the town of San Miguel Tzinacapan; the other for Saint Francis of Assisi in Cuetzalan. Mexican and mesoamerican dancers celebrate their oral traditions, magical medicine, petition for favors and give thanks to their patron saints through the medium of dance. 1994. 28 min. Video/C 4420

La Reina del Barrio (The Queen of the Barrio).

During the 40 days of Carnival in Montevideo, Uruguay, groups called "murgas," of 18 t0 20 men perform in open-air stages throughout the barros of the city. Before the end of the Carnival, murgas from different barrios compete in a major theater. Their shows, which combine song, drama, and comedy, satirize the main events of the year and are critical of Uruguayan politics and culture. c2001. 32 min. Video/C MM695

Sacred Games: Ritual Warfare in a Maya Village.

Presents how the Maya people see the world and how their symbolic world is renewed in the annual carnival celebrations. 1988. 59 min. Video/C 2426

Senhora Aparecida (Our Lady Aparecida)

In the Portuguese village of Senhora Aparecida, the annual festival is being prepared. The biers that reach fifteen meters high and which are carried by 70 men are being erected and decorated. The penitents order the coffins that will carry them, in a procession to the chapel as is the secular tradition. But a new priest has his own ideas about how religion should be practiced in the town and wants to put an end to the coffins procession. 1994. 55 min. Video/C 9726

Description from Documentary Educational Resources catalog

Transnational Fiesta, 1992

The film documents the multicultural and transnational experiences of Quispes, a family of Peruvian Andean immigrants living in Washington D.C., who return to their hometown, Cabanaconde, to sponsor the annual patron saint fiesta. The North American members of this extended family, as well as other migrants from the community living in Washington, also participate in the Virgin of Carmen celebration, where the complexities of cultural production, religious syncretism, inter-ethnic marriages, migration, and racism all converge. The story follows the migrants back to their "new world" (Washington D.C.) where they constantly "discover" and reinvent their plural identities in their daily lives as nannies, janitors, college students, and other occupations, and in the special events sponsored by the 300 plus members of the Cabanaconde City Association. c1992. 60 min. Video/C 8324

La Virgen de Monserrate

Shows the devotion to the Virgin of Monserrate by the people of the township of Hormigueros, Puerto Rico and associated parades and festivals in her honor. In Spanish without English subtitles. 2004. 15 min. Video/C MM1205

Europe

Bordegassos de Vilanova, 1999: Ja som colla de 9!

Members of Bordegassos Vilanova form various types of human pyramids up to nine levels high, showing how they are constructed and then disassembled. These human towers are built traditionally in festivals at many locations within Catalonia, Spain. 31 min. DVD X5215

Carnival in Switzerland: A World Turned Upside Down: Festivities From Four Different Towns

Features four old-time Carnival celebrations from different towns in Switzerland: Carnival Sunday in Evolène with its huge masked figures swathed in burlap and straw who harass passers-by, Kriens with its male celebrants dressed in traditional female costume, Liestal with its firewagons and firebroom parade, and Luzern with its teams of costumed figures in a street parade. Directed, photographed and edited by Albert Gasser. 54 min. Video/C MM883

Processione: a Sicilian Easter

The annual "Procession of the Mysteries" in Trapani, Sicily, is a 400-year-old ritual procession that begins on Good Friday and continues for 24 hours. In the procession, townsmen carry one-ton statues depicting the Stations of the Cross through old Trapani. The last statue in the procession is that of the Madonna, who "searches" for her lost son, Christ, until she "returns" to the village church on Holy Saturday. It explores the psychology of ritual--the reasons why a community has for centuries staged a religious celebration as a public theater of grief and communally shared mourning. 28 min. Video/C 8681

Sanjoaninas na Terceira.

A visit to the celebration of the Festas Sanjoaninas held on the island of Terceira in the Azores. This festival of Portuguese songs, dances, storytelling and bullfights celebrates the religious and cultural heritage of the residents of the Azores. 1995. 58 min. Video/C 4381

Semana Santa in Seville

Documents the art and history of the celebration of Holy Week, or Semana Santa, in Seville, Spain, a tradition which dates back more than five centuries. Director and writer, Mary Flannery. 1995. 52 min. DVD X5057

The Venice Gondola Pageant

Presents the Regata Storica, a great water pageant in Venice, Italy, featuring standing oarsmen in period costume re-enacting the pirate raid. The races and parades of crafts in addition to concerts and exhibitions add to a grand spectacle. 1986. 30 min. Video/C 8629

We Have No War-Songs: Gypsies: the Professional Amateurs of Life.

Since their appearance in Europe first recorded in the 14th century, the Gypsies have always struggled for the freedom to live their own lives in their own way. They have been persecuted, tortured, expelled and killed, and yet remain unique as the only nation of people that have never written or sung war songs. Filmed at the seven day gathering of thousands of Gypsies from all over the World in Saintes Maires de-la Mer in the South of France, this film celebrates the unique nature of the Gypsy people and poses questions of tolerance and individuality in today's increasingly materialistic and nationalistic world. A documentary by Izzy Abrahami and Erga Netzc1995. 53 min. Video/C 6338

Asia

Festival of Nine Emperors of God

Documentary on the Nine Emperors Festival which is celebrated yearly by the Malaysian Taoism community. The festival celebrates the memory of the death of nine Ming emperors and has become one of the unique cultural events among the Malaysian Chinese. The Nine Emperors Gods Festival is celebrated in the ninth Chinese lunar month starting from day one to day nine. 2006? 28 min. DVD 8524

The Great Ceremony to Straighten the World

The film features rituals and ceremonies of the Balinese people on religious, daily, and family occasions, including music and dance. 1994. 56 min. Video/C 6809

The Great Gathering

A study of the history, meaning, and diverse participants in the Maha Kumbha Mela, a spectacular Hindu sacred festival held every twelve years on the banks of the Ganges in India. The Kumbha Mela is the largest festive gathering of humanity on earth. It rotates between four different host cities. Held in Allahabad In 2001 it is estimated that 50 million people gathered for this unique event. By bathing in the Ganges during the Kumbha Mela it is believed that one will be absolved of all past-life Karma and freed from the vicious cycle of birth and death. Directed by Mary Sue Connolly. 2003. 53 min. DVD X3277

Berkeley Media LLC catalog description

Holi.

Documents the Hindu harvest festival of Holi when Krishna's life is celebrated. This film brings the color and vitality of the festival to life as it is celebrated in the villages of the Vraj region of northern India between Delhi and Agra. The role of the Hindu deities is also discussed along with the significance of certain rituals as they pertain to Krishna's life. 1999. 57 min. Video/C 7044

Holi Hey!: A Festival of Love, Color, and Life.

An indepth examination of the annual North India Spring festival of Holi as celebrated in the city of Banaras (Varanasi, Kashi). The film dramatizes how once each year the festival unites neighborhoods, breaches the barriers of age, caste, social rank and religious affiliation and calls all to share in unity and merriment. A respected Banaras brahman provides commentary recounting several explanations for the Holi festival. 1996. 54 min. Video/C 5583

Lady of Gingee: South Indian Draupadi Festivals.

Describes celebrations of a Draupadi festival in two villages in northern Tamilnadu (South Indoa) in May and June, 1986. Shows the most prominent events of the festival in Melacceri, including episodes of Terukuttu ("village" or "street") dramas, and village participation in fire-walking. Highlights from the festival are supplemented by interviews with key participants in the celebrations. c1988. 113 min. Video/C 4262

Lord of the Dance: Destroyer of Illusion.

Filmed in a remote region of Nepal within the shadow of Mt. Everest, Lord of the Dance documents activities at two Buddhist monasteries where Sherpas and Tibetans preserve a unique way of life and vision of the world. The film focuses on the ancient Mani-Rimdu festival of "awakening" and on Trulshig Rinpoche, the Tibetan Lama who directs its performance. c1985. 114 min. Video/C 4530

Malaysia, Thaipusam

Documentary on Thaipusam, one of the important religious festivals of the Hindus. It is celebrated at Batu Caves, Selayang, fulfilling a devotion to the Hindu god, Murugan. This spiritual celebration is a part of the Malaysian multi-racial culture. 2006? 30 min. DVD 8523

Matsuri: A Tribute to Eight Million Japanese Gods

Examines the Japanese matsuri or 'summer festival,' perhaps the best elucidation of that country's ancient polytheism. Ceremony footage from Tokyo and surrounding areas illustrates various festival activities and explores the Japanese cultural emphasis on community, cooperation, and folk worship. 2005. 21 min. DVD 5409

Nat Pwe: Burma's Carnival of Spirit Soul.

Filmed at Nat Pwe in Taungbyon, August 2002. Portrays the annual festival in Taungbyon, Burma, which combines conservative tradition with free-spirited music, dance and ecstatic spirit possession. It features the Pwe ceremony to appease ghost spirits called Nats, who are summoned by the flamboyant Kadaw, or master of the Pwe. Filmed by Richard Bishop; produced by Alan Bishop. c2003. 85 min. DVD 4087

On the Road with the Red God Machhendranath

Captures the complex human elements behind the wheeled chariot festival of the deity Rato Machhendranath of the Kathmadu Valley, one of Asia's greatest ancient religious festivals. Instead of exotic idealised depictions of tradition, the film portrays the gritty reality of the festival where confict or solidarity can prevail, maping the dynamic interplay between tradition and modernity. Directed and written by Kesang Tseten. 2005. 72 min. DVD 6712; DVD 6947 (52 min.)

Sitala in Spring

A historical film of an annual festival held in West Bengal, India in honor of the goddess of health and illness, Hindu deity Sitala. 1980?. 40 min. Video/C 4256

Wedding of the Goddess.

A two part documentary on the Chitterai Festival in Madurai, India. Part 1 (36 min.) provides historical background on the annual festival, and shows the reenactment of the marriage of the Lord Sundareshvar and the Goddess Minakshi. Part 2 (40 min.) provides, through interviews with participants, an intimate picture of the proceedings of the 12-day festival. Filmed in 1972 and 1973. Originally distributed 1976. 76 min. Video/C 3767; DVD X4423

Yumi Yet: Papua New Guinea Gets Independence

Documents Independence Day of Papua New Guinea on September 16, 1975, comparing the pageantry of local celebrations with the official ceremony in the capital. Also provides historical background about the area's 19th century colonization by Holland, Germany, and Great Britain. A film by Dennis O'Rourke 1987. 54 min. Video/C MM263

Documentaries About Global Tourism

The Amish and Us

An offbeat and sometimes amusing look at the growing commerce between the traditional Amish of Lancaster County, Pennsylvania and the millions of tourists who visit them every year. This film examines the effect of suburban sprawl on Amish farming and the increasing reliance by the Amish on craft and construction businesses for their livelihood. Although the tourist trade is a boon to the Amish, the constant contact with outsiders threatens to erode the traditional values that undergird the Amish way of life. 1997. 57 min. Video/C 5627

Back in Business?

Explores the possibility of the tourism industry jump starting a Sierra Leone economy that is still feeling the effects of an eleven-year civil war. Until now, most of Sierra Leone's foreign earnings have come from exporting diamonds. But it's rich in other natural resources. Apart from diamonds, there is titanium ore, gold and fisheries. Tourism, on the other hand, offers the promise of revenue with a far quicker turnaround time. Sierra Leone has miles of beautiful beaches. In a country that was once a war-zone, could tourism be one of the new industries that moves the country into the future? Produced by Emily Marlow. 2005. 27 min. DVD 8395

Bangkok Girl

This tragic documentary provides a glimpse into Thailand's notorious and booming sex tourism industry through the experiences of a 19-year-old bar girl named Pla. Working in the bars from the age of thirteen, Pla has managed to avoid selling her body--a remarkable revelation given her surroundings--but her refusal to take part in this all-too-common profession for young Thai women cannot last. The introduction of falangs, or foreigners, to Thailand has forever changed the city, the economy, the Thai people's lives and desires. A daring and unabashed look at a popular Western predilection through the eyes of one girl, this film challenges the accepted worldwide practice of sex tourism. Directed and written by Jordan Clark. Dist: Moving Images Distribution. 2005. 43 min. Video/C 8310

La Caminata (The Journey)

Fed up with the mass migration of their community, the small Mexican town of Alberto creates a one-of-a-kind tourist attraction they call La Caminata, a simulated nighttime border crossing, complete with fake border patrol chasing balaclava-clad coyotes. The experience is a cross between adventure tourism and a way for participants, largely middle class Mexican tourists, to experience firsthand the hardships of the border crossing. La Caminata details the story of this unlikely attempt to save a small community, offering a powerful look at the effect of migration in home communities, and opening a view to the immigration debate on the other side. A film by Jamie Meltzer. Dist.: New Day Films. 2009. 15 min. DVD X3811

Cannibal Tours.

When tourists today journey to the farthest reaches of Papua New Guinea, is it the indigenous tribespeople or the white visitors who are the cultural oddity? This documentary explores the differences and the similarities that emerge when the two groups meet within the context of organized "travel adventure tours." A film by Dennis O'Rourke. 77 min. DVD 9339; vhs Video/C 2485

Dennis O'Rourke bibliography

Can't Do It In Europe

A look at the unlikely tourist destination of Potosi, Bolivia, where wealthy travelers pay for the right to experience an authentic Third World silver mine. This film portrays the new phenomenon of 'reality tourism,' whereby bored American or European travelers seek out real-life experiences as exciting tourist "adventures." The film follows a group of such international tourists as they visit the mines in Potosi--the poorest city in the poorest nation in Latin America--where Bolivian miners work by hand, just as they did centuries ago, to extract silver from the earth. Produced by Anna Klara Ahren, Charlotta Copcutt, Anna Weitz. 2005. 46 min. DVD 8730

Description from First Run Icarus catalog

Cashing in on Culture: Indigenous Communities and Tourism

Examines the issues and problems of ecotourism. Focusing on the Quechua-speaking Indians in Ecuador looks at the cultural, economic and environmental issues for both indigenous communities and tourists. Written, produced and directed by Regina Harrison. 2002. 29 min. DVD X3254

Berkeley Media LLC catalog description

Destination Tourism.

Bodh Gaya, the world's most popular destination of Buddhist pilgrimage, is located in one of India's poorest states. Visitors to this UNESCO World Heritage site are typically shocked by the extreme poverty there, and the Buddhist tradition of alms-giving motivates them to donate money. As a result, Bodh Gaya has developed a sophisticated charity "industry" which caters to and depends on tourists and tourism. This thought-provoking documentary explores the complex, interconnected effects of tourism, globalization, culture, philanthropy, and religion in Bodh Gaya. 2007. 20 min. DVD 7846

Berkeley Media LLC catalog description

Empire of the Moon

Empire of the Moon wryly deconstructs the experience of being a tourist and the yearning to possess the magic of a place. Paris, gorgeously photographed in black-and-white, is the setting for cultural explorations ranging from the mundane to the sublime, as visitors trek from icon to icon, snapping the same photos, climbing the same steps, and at times experiencing the transformative wonder they came to find. Produced and directed by John Haptas and Kristine Samuelson. Cinematography, Jon Else. 1991. 17 min. DVD 9574

Global Tourism(Human Geography, People Places and Change ; 4)

Examines the experiences of tourists who visit Hawaii, Malaysia and Borneo and the tourism industry in each of those locations. 27 min. 1996. Video/C 4244

This series available for online viewing (Requires initial registration at site)[Requires Windows Media player]

Incidents of Travel in Chichen Itza

This ethnographic film depicts how New Agers, the Mexican state, tourists and 1920s archaeologists all contend to "clear" the site of the Maya city of Chichen Itza in order to produce their own idealized and unobstructed visions of "Maya" while the local Maya themselves struggle to occupy the site as vendors and artisans. 1997. 90 min. Video/C 9033

Description from Documentary Educational Resources catalog

Innocents Abroad.

A delightful, light-hearted documentary about forty American tourists visiting ten European countries in a whirlwind two weeks. Starting in London and visiting Amsterdam, Heidelberg, The Black Forest, Lucerne,Innsbruck, Venice, Rome, Florence, Pisa, Nice, Avignon and Paris, the film chronicles a diverse group experiencing Europe for the first time. Not a typical travelogue but an exploration of the experience of travel, this film provides human interest and sociological insights. A film by Les Blank. Dist.: Flower Films.1991. 84 min. Video/C 7643

Keeping it Real (Echter dan echt)

Part of the (who is s/he) project, produced in collaboration with Mama Cash. Camera, Sunny Bergman ... [et. al.] ; editor, Milika de Jong ; final editing IKON, Wessel van der Hammen ; music, Rimer Veeman. Investigates why an increasing number of people in our modern, highly developed societies, are eagerly seeking "authentic," real-life experiences, while at the same time trying to fathom the meaning of the concept itself. "Keeping it Real" profiles a sailor and world adventurer whose exploits are marketed in books, photos and videos to fascinated, wannabe adventurers; goes behind-the-scenes of a city tour with a real-life "homeless" person; interviews an African immigrant whose life experience fulfills a Western fantasy of being more connected to nature; follows an office worker who takes a year off to sail alone around the world; and questions pop-music stars how they distinguish between their public personas and real lives. The idealized representations of 'authenticity' being promoted or pursued are shown to be inherently inauthentic or at least illusory. A Film by Sunny Bergman. 2004. 51 min. DVD 8640

Description from First Run Icarus catalog

Kenya Our Environment, Our Treasure

Travel along on an ecotour of Kenya with focus on Kenya's environmental conservation efforts of wildlife and the natural environment. 2003. 19 min. DVD 9469

The Love Market

In the highlands of North Vietnam lies the remote town of Sapa, home to a mosaic of colorful hill tribes. Sapa opened to tourism in the late 1990's and now roughly 200 hill tribe girls aged 7-18 years live independently on the streets of Sapa selling embroidery. A few years ago Australian film maker Shalom Almond visited Sapa as a tourist and became friends with four Hmong girls. The girls are savvy, street smart and dream of life beyond selling souvenirs. But how will these young girls survive the leap from remote tribal culture to 21st century Asia? Over the next three years Shalom returns to Vietnam with her camera to find out. Filmed and drected by Shalom Almond. 2008. 52 min. DVD X3792

Milking the Rhino

A ferocious kill on the Serengeti; warnings about endangered species... These clich?s of nature films ignore a key landscape feature: villagers just off-camera who endure the dangers and costs of living with wild animals. The Maasai tribe of Kenya and Namibia's Himba -- two of earth's oldest cattle cultures -- are emerging from a century of 'white man's conservation,' which threw them off their lands, banned subsistence hunting and fueled resentment. They are discovering that earnings from wildlife tourism can rival the benefits of livestock. But change is not easy. Charting the collision of ancient ways with Western expectations, this film offers complex, intimate stories of Africans at the forefront of community-based conservation. Directed, produced, written and edited by David E. Simpson. Dist.: Kartemquin Films. 2008. 83 min. DVD X1879

Conklin, Kristie Ann. "A Documentary Proves Conservation Is Possible Anywhere." UC users only

Talmor, Ruti. "Milking the Rhino." Visual Anthropology Review, 2010, Vol. 26 Issue 1, p65-67, 3p UC users only

Mined to Death

Depicts the lives and work of miners in Potosí, Bolivia, who extract silver, zinc, and lead from the same mountain their ancestors mined five centuries ago. Documents how the mine is central to life in Potosí and how tourism in the region promises to bring in additional revenue to compensate for the 'dying' mountain. Directed by Regina Harrison. Dist.: Berkeley Media. 2005. 41 min. DVD X3272

Of Bards and Beggars.

A documentary film about the prayer ritual jagraan, made to the deity Pabuji, a guardian of livestock, as it is performed by folk musicians in Rajasthan. The musicians who perform the jaagran, known as bhopas, are losing their traditional patrons, the nomadic herders of livestock known as Raikas, and the remaining bhopas are forced more and more to perform for foreign and Indian tourists who know little about their craft. A film by Yask Desai, Shweta Kishore. 2003. 30 min. DVD 4950

The New Old Country

Follows the journey of American Jews who flock from across the country to New York City's Lower East Side in search of their grandparents' stories about growing up in the neighborhood. Their tourist travels reveal an intricate web of nostalgia, collective memory and the elusive nature of recorded history. Directed by Faye Lederman. Dist.: New Day Films. 2004. 27 min. Video/C MM265

Over Rich, Over Sexed ... Over Here.(New Pacific; 4)

Examining the forces that are shaping the modern face of the Pacific region, this film looks at the impact of tourists on the cultural lives of the people of the Pacific. Indigenous populations are resentful of the ease with which Western tourists come and go and are resentful of the power of their tourist dollars. 1986. 60 min. Video/C MM582

Quiet Places: A Look at Ecotourism in the Philippines.

With the continuing destruction of the environment in the Philippines and the loss of the very resources that are being counted upon to draw visitors, it has become necessary to examine how tourism may be revised. This film examines the concepts behind ecotourism and shows how it is being implemented in the Philippine Islands. c1998. 32 min. Video/C 7109

The Refugee Show: An Asylum in Tourism

Thousands of ethnic Padaung have fled Burma (Myanmar) and now try to maintain their society and culture in Thailand. This program examines their customs and their economic dependence on western tourists, who come to see the elongating neck ornamentation of their women. Highlighting an ongoing struggle to preserve their heritage, several Padaung interviewees describe life without dignity, privacy, land, higher education, and the freedom to travel outside their host villages. Viewers will gain a glimpse into the fragile Padaung culture and its current environment, which, in the words of one tribal member, resembles a "human zoo." A film by Martin Steiner. Dist.: Films Media Group. 2007. 29 min. DVD X4546

The Toured: The Other Side of Tourism in Barbados.

This provacative documentary portrays the experience of tourism from the point of view of those who are "toured", in this case on the Caribbean Island of Barbados. Bajians talk about the realities of making a living in a tourist economy and witnessing one's traditional culture change under the impact of foreign visitors. 39 min. Video/C 6186

Trouble in Paradise

Looks at the long-term social and economic impact of the 2004 tsunami on the Maldives. The rebuilding has started but the distances between islands are huge, greatly slowing the efforts of the British Red Cross and other agencies. After one year, some 800 buildings had been repaired, with over 2,000 still needing to be completely rebuilt. In 2006, five new island resorts are due to open and it's predicted that tourism in the Maldives will reach an all time high. The Maldives are viewed as a paradise on earth, but only time will tell if they will be able to fully ovecome the social and political impact of the Tsunami on the islands. Directed by Emily Marlow. 2007. 25 min. DVD 8397

Description from Bullfrog Films catalog

The Virgin Trade

Looking at the dark underbelly of Thailand's sex trade, this documentary unravels the complexities of Western sex tourism and its relationship with Asia's home grown trade. With accounts from travellers, male holiday makers and Thai girls the investigation turns expectation on its head in a shocking journey that is brutally honest, dark, humorous and surprisingly touching. Written and directed by Stuart Kershaw. 2007? 54 min. DVD 8834 To the top