Films

Film list

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Scenes of Afghan Music: London, Kabul, Hamburg, Dublin 2007 97‘

Scenes of Afghan Music is Part IV of ‘A Quartet of Afghan Music Films’, made in the author’s personal “fieldwork movie” style. It reveals the diversity of music and dance practices in the

Middle and Near East Music / Ethnomusicology Migration Collective / Community identity

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Socotra, the Island of Djinns 2016 64‘

RAI Basil Wright Directed by Jordi Esteva .

The film is the story of a journey across the island of Socotra in the Indian Ocean, off the coast of Yemen. Socotra is isolated during the monsoon season, when it is impossible to land on it. This

Middle and Near East Myths / Fairy tales Nomads and Nomadism Tourism / Travel / Pilgrimage Trade

Sons of the Moon 1984 25‘

Directed by Frank Speed Deirdre LaPin .

In isolated mountain hamlets in Nigeria’s Jos Plateau the Ngas have traditionally observed the movements of the moon in the night sky. The moon is a key symbol in Ngas cosmology, believed to

West Africa Religion / Belief / Faith Music / Ethnomusicology Everyday Life Ritual

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Singing Pictures – Women Painters of Naya 2005 45‘

Directed by Lina Fruzzetti Ákos Östör .

For generations the Patua (Chitrakara) communities of West Bengal have been painters and singers of stories depicted in scrolls. The film follows the daily lives of Muslim Patua women from Naya

South Asia Material Culture Art / Artists / Artisans Music / Ethnomusicology

Sons of Haji Omar 1978 58‘

Directed by Timothy Asch Asen Balikci David Newman Richard Sorensen .

Haji Omar and his three sons belong to the Lakenkhel, a Pashtun tribal group in northeastern Afghanistan. Concentrating within one family, the film draw sharp, colourful portraits of the protagonists

Middle and Near East Everyday Life Nomads and Nomadism Herding

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Southeast London Ethnography – Three Student Films: Anglesea Road; The Good Ol’ Days; Talk of Trade 2007 13‘

Directed by Elhum Shakerifar Ed Owles Jamie Taylor .

These 3 films on Southeast London were made by GCC college students who took a course in anthropology & film. ANGLESEA ROAD: Situated in Woolwich, South East London, Anglesea Road is a small

British-Irish Isles Urban

Sophia and Her People 1985 35‘

Directed by Peter Loïzos .

Sofia and her family lost their village home in 1975 when Turkey invaded Cyprus. The film, mainly set in Nicosia in 1983, shows the pressures of refugee economic recovery through shift work in a

South-East Europe Refugees / Displaced populations Social Change Family / Kinship

Sea Boundary 2012 55‘

Directed by Rosella Schillaci .

The film depicts the daily struggle of fishermen to earn a living in a harsh physical environment that brings out the social and economic tensions of modern society. Manning the Priamo are Cola, the

Western Mediterranean Labour Hunting / Gathering / Fishing Socioeconomic conditions Migration

Sundanese Culture Alive 1988 46‘

Directed by Jean Hellwig .

Jaipongan is a new style of music and dancing which was ‘invented’ about a decade ago on Western Java, Indonesia. Drawing on more classical Javanese music and taking elements from Japanese and

South-East Asia Music / Ethnomusicology Dance / Theatre / Performance

Steel Lives 2005 45‘

Directed by Massimiliano Mollona .

The anthropologist spent several months working as unskilled labourer alongside Sheffield steelworkers at Morris for his PhD. This film is a look into the working lives of men who earn a living in

British-Irish Isles Labour Socioeconomic conditions Collective / Community identity

Sisters in Law 2005 104‘

Directed by Kim Longinotto Florence Ayisi .

Six year old Manka has run away from home, fleeing her abusive aunt. Sonita has daringly accused her neighbor of rape. Amina has decided to end her brutal marriage by taking her husband to court. Set

West Africa Law and Legislation / Bureaucracy Gender Role and Identity Children / Young people

The Storyteller 1990 50‘

Student Directed by John Paul Davidson .

Unaware of the written word until the 1950s, the Waura tribe who live in the headwaters of the Xingu river in Brazil still practise the art of storytelling. Tribal storyteller Aruta recounts one of

South America Indigenous peoples / First Nations peoples Dance / Theatre / Performance Religion / Belief / Faith

SchoolScapes 2007 77‘

Directed by David MacDougall .

Inspired by the cinema of Lumière and the ideas of the 20th century Indian thinker Jiddu Krishnamurti, David MacDougall follows up the Doon School Quintet, his series of films about a traditional

South Asia Children / Young people Education / Knowledge transmission Film / Photography / Mass media

Some Alien Creatures 2005 74‘

Directed by David MacDougall .

A film about the famous experimental, co-educational boarding school in South India, the Rishi Valley School, founded by the influential Indian thinker Krishnamurti. In this film about a progressive

South Asia Children / Young people Gender Role and Identity Education / Knowledge Transmission

Sermiligaag 65°54’N, 36°22’W 2008 64‘

Directed by Anni Seitz Sophie Elixhauser .

The people of East Greenland inhabit a small string of coastal land at the edge of the biggest island of the world. Long winters have always shaped daily life here, a life that has gone within a few

North America Rural Social Change Environment

Sunny and the Dark Horse 1986 86‘

Directed by David MacDougall Judith MacDougall .

A true story of a country family’s gradual involvement and growing passion for ‘picnic racing’. Sunny Bancroft is an Aboriginal cattle-station manager in New South Wales. With his

Australia Rural Indigenous peoples / First Nations peoples Animals

Shepherds in the Cave 2016 87‘

Material Culture Directed by Anthony Grieco .

An international team of art restorers, archaeologists and volunteers begin work on the restoration of religious frescoes inside a network of ancient caves. Faced with local bureaucratic challenges

Western Mediterranean Archaeology Herding Art / Artists / Artisans Law and Legislation / Bureaucracy

Suspension 2019 73‘

Werbner Award Directed by Simón Uribe .

This film documents the building of a modern road through the imposing geography of southern Colombia. It brilliantly captures some of the absurdities and contradictions of a construction project

South America Development projects Infrastructure / Transport Material Culture Rural

Stockman’s Strategy 1984 52‘

Directed by David MacDougall Judith MacDougall .

A film which explores the philosophy of teaching and learning of Sunny Bancroft, manager of an Aboriginal-run cattle station in northern New South Wales. It also tells the story of Shane Gordon, a

Australia Indigenous peoples / First Nations peoples Animals Education / Knowledge transmission

Seed and Earth 1989 36‘

Directed by Lina Fruzzetti Alfred Guzzetti Ned Johnston Ákos Östör .

Seed on Earth is a film about everyday life in rural Bangladesh (village of Janta, near Bishnupur town). It follows the daily schedule of two families and observes the complementary and difference of

South Asia Rural Family / Kinship Gender Role and Identity

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Silk, Muthappar and VHS: Portraits from South India 1997 63‘

Directed by Ulrich Grossenbacher Damaris Luethi .

The documentary, filmed during ethnographic field research, shows three portraits of ‘ordinary’ personalities — Mala, a young weaver sharing a one-bedroom house with nine siblings; Santa Cruz,

South Asia Labour Everyday Life Film / Photography / Mass media

Since the Company Came 2001 52‘

Directed by Russel Hawkins .

Set in the South Pacific, in a remote Solomon Islands village, ‘Since the Company Came’ is the story of a community coming to terms with social, cultural and ecological disintegration. When village

Melanesia Land Rights Indigenous peoples / First Nations peoples Social Conflict Socioeconomic conditions

Shinjuku Boys 1997 54‘

Directed by Kim Longinotto Jano Williams .

A film about love and gender. This film is set in the New Marilyn night club in Tokyo where all the hosts are women who have decided to live as men. They make their living by working in a club with

Central Asia and Far East Gender Role and Identity Sex / Sexuality Love

Sifinja – The Iron Bride 2009 70‘

Directed by Valerie Haensch .

A film about mobility, human creativity, and technology in a Sudanese truck community. The English Bedford-Lorry was introduced to Sudan in the late 1960s. Since then, local craftsmen technically

North and Northeast Africa Infrastructure / Transport Material Culture Art / Artists / Artisans

Salma 2013 90‘

Directed by Kim Longinotto .

When Salma, a young Muslim girl in a south Indian village, was 13 years old, her family locked her up for 25 years, forbidding her to study and forcing her into marriage. During that time, words were

South Asia Gender Role and Identity Social Norms Marriage Art / Artists / Artisans

A Sheepherder’s Homecoming 1996 40‘

Directed by Allen Moore Louis Werner .

This film documents a migrant worker’s experiences as a herder on a Nevada sheep ranch who then returns to his family in Mexico after a long absence to renew ties and find a job at home. It

North America Central America Migration Labour

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