COOL/ANTH-576L Film List
The Early History of Ethnographic Film:
A chronology of the development of ethnographic film within a documentary film tradition
(Transcribed from Tim Asch’s Fall1989 Anth 575 syllabus and links added by Jennifer Cool)
1550 Around the middle of the century the camera obscura (“dark chamber) was in use.
1816 Joseph Nicéphore Niépce makes the first paper negative.
1839 Louis-Jacques-Mandé Daguerre makes a direct positive image on a silver plate, the daguerrotype.
1895 The year that the Lumière brothers (Auguste and Louis) developed a way to project moving images in Paris. Felix-Louis Regnault takes the first ethnographic film of a Wolof potter making a clay pot at the Exposition Ethnographique de L’Afrique Occidentale in Paris.
1898- 1899
Alfred Cord Haddon films in the Torres Straits, Australia, with a Lumière camera. Even in these early years Haddon wrote that film should become an indispensable tool for ethnographic research.
1901-1912
Walter Baldwin Spencer and Francis James Gillen film in central and northern Australia.
1914 Edward Curtis, In the Land of the War Canoes (43 min.)
1913-1922
The making of Flaherty’s Nanook of the North (79 min.)
1923 Kodak markets 16mm film and cameras
1925 Merian C. Cooper and Ernest Schoedsack’s Grass (71 min.)
1927 Al Jolson in the Jazz Singer, the first sound film
1932 The three color separation Technicolor process first used in the film La Cucaracha (25 min.) http://www.archive.org/details/La_Cucaracha_1934
1937 The Wedding of Palo (72 min.). F. Dlasheim and Knud Rasmussen
1960 Leacock, Pennebaker, Drew, and Bogdanovitch, using the “acutron” watch invent the first portable synchronous sound filming unit.
1964 Asen Balikci’s reconstruction of The Migratory Cycle of the Netsilik Eskimo (13 hours)
1975 Timothy Asch, Patsy Asch, and Asen Balikci’s The Sons of Haji Omar (1978)
1974-1988
The Alaskan Eskimo series of Sarah Elder and Lenny Kamerling (9 films)
1998 Small, lightweight video recorders are now available to record more information with better quality and higher resolution than could 16mm in the 1980s. These TV images are now shown on home video digital plasma screens as large as 4”x6” (if you want they can be 30”x40”) with 5,000 lines per inch resolution (instead of today’s 525 lines per inch). The screens are 1” thick, plasma and the information comes to the screen digitally by two wires attached to one corner of the screen, at which point the information immediately spreads out across the entire plasma (or equivalent) without being projected.
1999 Many books are now published with a 3” computer disc placed in a little envelope on the inside front cover, that can digitally transmit 3 hours of visual information in the form of stills or moving images, music, and text.
Ethnographic Filmmaking: Historic Series & Films
Faces of Change Series (NSF 1972-1975)
This revolutionary series of 26 - 16mm films and videos, funded by the National Science Foundation and produced by several different ethnographic filmmakers between 1972-1975. The films examine 5 cultures selected for the diversity of their geographic location: China Coast, Taiwan, Afghanistan, Kenya, Bolivia. Each location is examined through 5 themes: Rural Society, Education, Rural Economy, Women and Beliefs.
China Coast / Faces of Change
By George Chang, Richard Chen and Norman Miller
- China Coast Fishing
- Hoy Fok and the Island School
- The Island Fishpond
- Island in the China Sea
- Three Island Women
Taiwan / Faces of Change
By Richard Chen and Frank Tsai
- Chinese Farm Wife
- People are Many, Fields are Small
- A Rural Cooperative
- They Call Him "Ah Kung"
- Wet Culture Rice
Afghanistan / Faces of Change
By Herbert DiGioia, David Hancock and Louis Dupree
- Afghan Nomads: The Maldar
- An Afghan Village
- Afghan Women
- Naim and Jabar
- Wheat Cycle
Kenya / Faces of Change
By David MacDougall and James Blue
- Boran Herdsmen
- Boran Women
- Harambee: Pull Together
- Kenya Boran I
- Kenya Boran II
Bolivia / Faces of Change
By Hubert Smith and Neil Reichline
- Andean Women
- The Children Know
- Magic and Catholicism
- Potato Planters
- The Spirit Possession of Alejandro Mamani
- Viracocha
Granada Television's Disappearing World Series (1970-1977)
A major anthropological series of 24 documentary films transmitted by Granada Television in Britain between 1970 and 1977. Re-edited versions of three of the films— Masai Women, The Kawelka: Ongka's Big Moka, and The Sakuddei—made up a fourth of the initial season of PBS’s Odyssey series launched in 1980.
- War of the Gods. 1971. Anthropologists: Peter Silverwood-Cope [Maku] and Stephen and Christine Hugh-Jones [Barasana]; directed by Brian Moser; camera by Ernest Vincze; sound by Bruce White; edited by Martin Smith. 66 minutes [Colombia].
- The Mehinacu. 1974. Anthropologist: Thomas Gregor; directed by Carlos Pasini; camera by Stephen Goldblatt; sound by Bruce White; edited by Gene Ellis. 53 minutes [Brazil].
- The Dervishes of Kurdistan. 1973. Anthropologists: Ali Bulookbashi and Andre Singer; directed by Brian Moser; camera by Michael Dodds; sound by Christian Wangler; edited by Dai Vaughan; researched by Andre Singer. 52 minutes, 15 seconds [Iran/Iraq].
- Kataragama-A God for All Seasons. 1973. Anthropologist: Gananath 0beyesekere;directed by Charlie Nairn; camera by Ernest Vincze; sound by Bruce White; edited by David Naden; researched by Angela Burr. 51 minutes, 12 seconds [Sri Lanka].
- The Meo. 1972.Anthropologist: Jacques Lemoine; directed by Brian Moser; camera by Michael Davis; sound by Eoin McCann; edited by Dai Vaughan; researched by Chris Curling. 53 minutes, 23 seconds [Laos].
- The Tuareg. 1972.Anthropologist:Jeremy Keenan; directed by Charlie Nairn; camera by Michael Dodds; sound by Eoin McCann; edited by Dai Vaughan. 54 minutes [Algeria].
- A Clearing in the Jungle. 1970. Anthropologist: Jean-Paul Dumont; directed by Charles Nairn; camera by Bob Holt; sound by Neil Kingsbury; edited by Gerry Dow. 38 minutes, 19 seconds [Panare Indians, Venezuela].
- The Last of the Cuiva. 1971. Anthropologist: Bernard Arcand; directed by Brian Moser; camera by Ernest Vincze; sound by Bruce White; edited by Dai Vaughan. 65 minutes, 16 seconds [Colombia].
- Embera-The End of the Road. 1971.Anthropologist: Ariane Deluz; directed by Brian Moser; camera by Michael Whittaker; sound by Colin Richards; edited by Kelvin Hendrie. 50 minutes, 11 seconds [Colombia].
- The Mursi. 1974.Anthropologist: David Turton; directed by Leslie Woodhead; camera by Mike Dodds; sound by Christian Wangler; edited by Kelvin Hendrie; researched by Andre Singer. 52 minutes, 44 seconds [Ethiopia].
- Masai Women. 1974.Anthropologist: Melissa Llewelyn-Davies; directed by Chris Curling; camera by Charles Stewart; sound by Bruce White; edited by Dai Vaughan; researched by Melissa Llewelyn-Davies. 51 minutes, 45 seconds [Kenya].
- The Quechua. 1974. Anthropologist: Michael Sallnow; directed by Carlos Pasini; camera by Stephen Goldblatt; sound by Mike McDuffy; edited by Gene Ellis; researched and written by David Ash. 52 minutes, 12 seconds [Peru].
- The Kawelka: Ongka's Big Moka. 1974. Anthropologist: Andrew Strathern; directed by Charlie Nairn; camera by Ernest Vincze; sound by Bruce White; edited by Shelagh Brady; researched by Pattie Winter. 52 minutes [Papua New Guinea].
- The Sakuddei. 1974. Anthropologist: Reimar Schefold; directed by John Sheppard; camera by Dick Pope; sound by Bob Alcock; edited by Andrew Page. 52 minutes, I3 seconds [Indonesia].
- Masai Manhood. 1975. Anthropologist: Melissa Llewelyn-Davies; directed by Chris Curling; camera by Charles Stewart; sound by Bruce White; edited by Dai Vaughan; researched by Melissa Llewelyn-Davies. 52 minutes, 53 seconds [Kenya].
- The Eskimos of Pond Inlet: The People's Land. 1975. Anthropologist: Hugh Brody;directed by Mike Grigsby; camera by Ivan Strasburg; sound by Mike McDuffy; edited by David Gladwell; researched by Pattie Winter. 52 minutes, 14 seconds [Canada].
- The Shilluk. 1975. Directed by Chris Curling; camera by Ernest Vincze and Ivan Strasburg; sound by Bruce White; edited by Edward Roberts; researched by Andre Singer. 52 minutes, 35 seconds [Sudan].
- On the Edge of the Gobi. 1975. Consultant: Owen Lattimore; directed by Brian Moser;camera by Ivan Strasburg; sound by Eoin McCann; edited by Jane Wood. 51 minutes, 48 seconds [The Khalka, Mongolia/USSR].*
- The City on the Steppes. 1975. Consultant: Owen Lattimore; directed by Brian Moser;camera by Ivan Strasburg; sound by Eoin McCann; edited by Dai Vaughan. 52 minutes, 38 seconds [The Khalka, Mongolia/USSR].[*]
- The Kirghiz of Afghanistan. 1975. Anthropologist: Nazif Shahrani; directed by Charles Nairn; camera by John Davy; sound by Eoin McCann; edited by Charles Nairn; researched by Andre Singer. 51 minutes, 12 seconds.
- The Rendille. 1976. Anthropologist: Anders Grumm; directed by Chris Curling;camera by Charles Stewart; sound by Bruce White; edited by Terry Twigg. 52 minutes, 24 seconds [Kenya].
- Some Women of Marrakech. 1976. Consultant: Elizabeth Fernea; directed by Melissa Llewelyn-Davies; camera by Dianne Tammes; sound by Marilyn Gaunt; edited by Dai Vaughan. 52 minutes, 26 seconds [Morocco].
- The Sherpas. 1977. Anthropologist: Sherry Ortner; directed by Leslie Woodhead; camera by Mike Dodds; sound by Neil Kingsbury; edited by Kelvin Hendrie; researched by Pattie Winter. 52 minutes, 23 seconds [Nepal].
- Umbanda. 1977. Anthropologist: Peter Fry; director Stephen Cross; camera by Mike Thomson; sound by Phil Taylor; edited by Jeff Harvey. 51 minutes, 59 seconds [urban Brazil].
Odyssey Series (PBS 1908-1981)
In 1980, PBS Television in the U.S. released the first season of Odyssey, a series of anthropological documentaries, with a second season in 1981. Public Broadcasting Associates of Boston produced the entire series with major funding by the National Endowment for the Humanities, and additional funding from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and Polaroid. The series follows the work of anthropologists and archaeologists as they attempt to understand the complexities and similarities of human societies at different times and in different places. Some of the films are available through DER ( http://www.der.org/films/odyssey-series.html) and others through other distributors (see: http://www.neh.gov/projects/medialog/arch.html)
Odyssey I - 12 (58:00) Programs
Year Produced: 1980
Series Executive Producer: Michael Ambrosino
Program 1: Seeking the First Americans
follows archaeologists from Alaska to Texas as they search for clues to the identity of the earliest inhabitants of North America. PRODUCER/DIRECTOR: Graham Chedd
Program 2: Franz Boas (1852-1942)
tells the story of the German physicist who shaped the methods of American anthropology, bringing discipline and order to a field that had previously dealt in subjective "race classification." PRODUCER/DIRECTOR: T.W. Timreck
Program 3: The Incas
examines the sixteenth-century Inca Empire through the work of three archaeologists. PRODUCERS: Anna Benson-Gyles, Marian White
Program 4: Other People's Garbage
explores the work of historical archaeologists across the United States: the excavation of slave quarters in Georgia; an investigation of a nineteenth-century multi-ethnic community near northern California coal mines; and an urban archaeology project in the Boston area. PRODUCERS: Ann Peck, Claire Andrade-Watkins
Program 5: The Chaco Legacy
explores the puzzling technological achievements of the inhabitants of the Chaco Canyon in New Mexico and speculates on their demise. PRODUCER/DIRECTOR/WRITER: Graham Chedd
Program 6: N!ai, The Story of a !Kung Woman
focuses on changes in the life of the !Kung of Namibia through the reflections of one woman over a twenty-eight year period. PRODUCERS: John Marshall, Sue Marshall Cabezas; DIRECTORS: John Marshall, Adrienne Miesmer
Program 7: Ongka's Big Moka
explores the lavish ceremonial presentations of gifts, called moka, in the New Guinea highlands through the preparations of one man. PRODUCER/DIRECTOR: Charlie Naim. PRODUCER (Odyssey version): Melanie Wallace, Sanford Low
Program 8: Maasai Women
looks at the women of the Maasai tribe—from childhood through marriage and old age—in the East African Rift Valley. PRODUCER: Christopher Curling. PRODUCERS (Odyssey version): Melanie Wallace, Sanford Low
Program 9: The Sakuddei
considers how government development programs in tribal Indonesia may disrupt traditional ways of life among the Sakuddei. PRODUCER/DIRECTOR: John Sheppard. PRODUCER (Odyssey version): Sanford Low
Program 10: Shipwreck: La Trinidad Valencera
examines the wreck of La Trinidad Valencera, the fourth largest ship in the Spanish Armada, which was discovered in thirty feet of water off the coast of Ireland. PRODUCER: Ray Sutcliffe. PRODUCER (Odyssey version): Terry Kay Rockefeller, Sue Simpson
Program 11: Key to the Land of Silence
illumines the history of the Rosetta stone and its contribution to an understanding of life in ancient Egypt. DIRECTOR: Anna Benson-Gyles. PRODUCERS: (Odyssey version): Ashton Peery, Terry Kay Rockefeller, Vivian Ducat
Program 12: Cree Hunters of Mistassini
looks at the Cree Indians of Canada who trek northward every winter to hunt and trap game. DIRECTORS: Tony Lanzelo, Boyce Richardson
Odyssey II - 15 (58:00) Programs
Year Produced: 1981
Series Executive Producer: Michael Ambrosino
The second Odyssey series continues to explore the diversity of past and present cultures.
Program 1: The Ancient Mariners
considers excavation from three shipwrecks, with special emphasis on techniques of modern underwater archaeology, the attempted reconstructions of ships and cargo, and theories about ancient shipbuilding processes. PRODUCER: Sanford Low. DIRECTOR: Werner Bundschuh
Program 2: On the Cowboy Trail
explores the lives of contemporary cowboys in southeastern Montana. PRODUCERS: Randy Strothman, Margot Liberty. ARTISTIC DIRECTOR/WRITER: Barry Head
Program 3: Lucy and the First Family
traces anthropologist Donald Johanson's discovery of "Lucy," the oldest skeleton of any human ancestor, and at least thirteen of her contemporaries in Ethiopia. PRODUCER: Milton B. Hoffman
PRODUCER (Odyssey Version): Vivian Ducat
Program 4: The Kirghiz of Afghanistan
relates the story of the Kirghiz nomads, who relocated in Pakistan after being forced out of their home territory in Afghanistan. PRODUCERS/DIRECTORS: Charlie Nairn, M. Nazif Shahrani. PRODUCERS/WRITERS (Odyssey Version): Robert Burns, Melanie Wallace
Program 5: Bath Waters
follows a group of archaeologists as they excavate the famous two thousand year-old Roman baths in Bath, England, to learn more about the Romans and their influence in Great Britain. PRODUCER: Antonia Benedak. PRODUCER/WRITER (Odyssey Version): Marian White
Program 6
Little Injustices: Laura Nader Looks at the Law
introduces anthropologist Laura Nader's fieldwork in a small Zapotec village in Mexico and her comparison of Mexican and American systems of settling disputes and consumer complaints. PRODUCERS: Terry Kay Rockefeller, Laurie Manny, Ashton Peery
Program 7: Myths and the Moundbuilders
reviews the evolution of theories on Indian-built mounds scattered throughout the eastern half of the United States. WRITER/PRODUCER/DIRECTOR: Graham Chedd
Program 8: The Three Worlds of Bali
explores the pageantry, poetry, and song that permeate daily life on the Indonesian island of Bali. PRODUCER/DIRECTOR: Ira R. Abrams
Program 9: Masters of Metal
traces the way new dating techniques have allowed archaeologists to challenge the once widely accepted notion that Europeans learned how to work with metal from peoples in the Middle East. PRODUCER: Dominic Flessati PRODUCER/WRITER (Odyssey Version): Kathleen Bernhardt