Films - RAI FILM

RAI FILM

Film list

[37-uses-for-a-dead-sheep--Film-image]

37 Uses for a Dead Sheep 2006 85‘

Directed by Ben Hopkins .

The Pamir Kirghiz are a tribe of some 2,000 people from the Pamir region of Central Asia. For the last 27 years they have lived in exile in Eastern Turkey. In 2005 an Anglo-Turkish film crew arrives

Middle and Near East Film / Photography / Mass media Animals Migration

[across-the-border-afghan-musicians-exiled-in-peshawar--Film-image]

Across the Border: Afghan Musicians exiled in Peshawar 2008 54‘

Directed by John Baily .

It is the year 2000 and most of Afghanistan is under the control of the Taliban. Hearing that many of Afghanistain’s musicians are now in exile across the border in Pakistan, ethnomusicologist John

South Asia Refugees / Displaced populations Music / Ethnomusicology Religion / Belief / Faith

[the-ainu-bear-ceremony--Film-image]

The Ainu Bear Ceremony 1931 27‘

Directed by Neil G. Munro .

The RAI has reedited the original film of this ceremony among the Ainu people of Japan. In the bear ceremony, now no longer performed, a specially reared bear was reverently killed and its flesh and

Central Asia and Far East Ritual Animals Indigenous peoples / First Nations peoples

[amir-an-afghan-refugee-musicians-life-in-peshavar-pakistan--Film-image]

Amir – An Afghan Refugee Musician’s Life in Peshavar, Pakistan 1985 52‘

Directed by John Baily .

The film investigates and portrays the life of Afghan refugees living in and around the city of Peshawar in northern Pakistan through the experiences of the musician Amir. The aspirations of Afghan

South Asia Music / Ethnomusicology Refugees / Displaced populations

[ayouni--Film-image]

Ayouni 2020 75‘

Directed by Yasmin Fedda .

Bassel was a successful open source developer and hacker in Damascus. Paolo was a well-known priest based in Mar Musa monastery. Both men were active in the 2011 Syrian revolution, and witnesses to

Middle and Near East War / Conflict / Reconciliation Memory Political Activists

[benin-kingship-rituals--Film-image]

Benin Kingship Rituals 1963 20‘

Directed by Frank Speed Ray Bradbury .

Until it was conquered by the British in 1897, the city of Benin, in what is now Nigeria, was the centre of a powerful kingdom. Its rulers, the Obas of Benin, were mysterious, secluded figures who

West Africa Ritual Dance / Theatre / Performance History

[between-memories--Film-image]

Between Memories 2015 34‘

Directed by Martha-Cecilia Dietrich .

Eudosia is still searching for her husband’s remains in the highlands of Ayacucho; Lucero has been in prison for 25 years now for the crime of terrorism against the Peruvian state; since 2009 the

South America Memory War / Conflict / Reconciliation

[black-mountain--Film-image]

Black Mountain 2008 84‘

Directed by Charlotte Whitby-Coles Amin Hajee .

A once unremarkable site of multi-faith pilgrimage to a Sufi Saint has been transformed and its local history rewritten – the film documents the journey of Charlotte, a student undertaking her PhD

South Asia Religion / Belief / Faith Tourism / Travel / Pilgrimage Inter-religious relations

[body-games-capoeira-and-ancestry--Film-image]

Body Games – Capoeira and Ancestry 2014 87‘

Student Directed by Richard Pakleppa Matthias Röhrig Assunção Christine Dettmann .

The film follows master Cobra Mansa and his friends in the search for the African roots of the Brazilian martial art Capoeira. A powerful myth links Capoeira to a legendary Angolan game called Engolo

South America Southern Africa Dance / Theatre / Performance Music / Ethnomusicology Festivals / Carnival

[born--Film-image]

Born 2008 56‘

Directed by Andy Lawrence Judith Kurutuac .

*Our hope is to create a magical-real environment in which to go beyond the limits of our historical perspective on childbirth and its culturally bound rites, and to demonstrate an emotionally

British-Irish Isles Health / Health care / Healing Family / Kinship Children / Young people

[boya-boya-shine-shine--Film-image]

Boya Boya (Shine Shine) 2014 18‘

Directed by Karen Boswall Ruba Al Akash .

A portrait of Syrian refugee Mohammed, a 12-year-old shoe shine boy, ‘Boya Boya (Shine Shine)’ looks at the reality of the growing population of urban refugees from a child’s point of view. While

Middle and Near East Children / Young people Refugees / Displaced populations Labour

[breaking-the-chains--Film-image]

Breaking the Chains 2015 64‘

Student Directed by Erminia Colucci .

The practice of using shackles and chains to physically restrain people with mental illness (known as pasung) is widespread in Indonesia (as in many other developing/low middle income countries) and

South-East Asia Prison Health / Health care / Healing Political Activists Development projects

[breaking-the-yard--Film-image]

Breaking the Yard 2018 21‘

Directed by Richard Werbner .

"Breaking-the-Yard" documents the court hearings and troubled affairs of a quarrelsome young couple, a stay-at-home farmer and his police constable, town-savvy wife. They claim to be still

Southern Africa Family / Kinship Gender Role and Identity Law and Legislation / Bureaucracy Love Marriage

[casados-legacy--Film-image]

Casado’s Legacy 2009 49‘

Directed by Valentina Bonifacio .

For 100 years Maskoy people worked in Carlos Casado’s tannin factory. The factory, which had been founded on their land, based its production on the exploitation of local natural resources. After

South America Political Activists Labour Land Rights

[caught-in-between--Film-image]

Caught in Between 2016 56‘

Directed by Richard Werbner .

The focus is on a leading village elder, John Lelatlhego, a retired Human Resources administrator trained in settling disputes in the South African mines. John gets entangled in the long troubled

Southern Africa Family / Kinship Gender Role and Identity Law and Legislation / Bureaucracy Love Marriage

[cultivating-death--Film-image]

Cultivating Death 2003 23‘

Directed by Martin Gruber .

Cemeteries are not only places for the dead. They are also spaces in which the living interact with each other – and with the dead. “Cultivating Death” depicts the different ways in which

British-Irish Isles Death Ritual

[cuyagua-devil-dancers--Film-image]

Cuyagua – Devil Dancers 1987 52‘

Directed by Paul Henley .

The men of the Afro-Caribbean population of Cuyagua enact a ritual that occurs 60 days after Easter. The film is a portrait of two men who direct the devil dancing. They tell the history of the

South America Ritual Religion / Belief / Faith

[cuyagua-the-saint-with-two-faces--Film-image]

Cuyagua – the Saint With Two Faces 1987 56‘

Student Directed by Paul Henley .

The film centres on the predominantly female celebration of the feast of Saint John. The women sing the songs associated with the Feast, describe their beliefs and how they organise the feast.

South America Ritual Religion / Belief / Faith Festivals / Carnival

[the-dancer-and-the-dance--Film-image]

The Dancer and the Dance 1988 44‘

Directed by Felicia Hughes-Freeland .

This film is an invitation to see Javanese palace dancing as performed in Yogyakarta, Indonesia, and to go beyond appearances to discover what the dance means to those who continue the tradition. In

South-East Asia Dance / Theatre / Performance

[the-day-i-will-never-forget--Film-image]

The Day I Will Never Forget 2002 92‘

Directed by Kim Longinotto .

The documentary explores the local dimensions of the female circumcision debate in Kenyan societies. In a region of Kenya that is home to Muslims, Massai and Somali and crosscut by Christian

East Africa Gender Role and Identity Ritual Law and Legislation / Bureaucracy Political Activists

[divorce-iranian-style--Film-image]

Divorce Iranian Style 1989 80‘

Directed by Kim Longinotto .

This film is set in the Family Law Courts in central Tehran. The three main characters are Jamileh who punishes her husband for beating her, Ziba, a 16 year old girl who is trying to get a divorce

Middle and Near East Marriage Gender Role and Identity Law and Legislation / Bureaucracy Family / Kinship

[doctors-of-two-worlds--Film-image]

Doctors of Two Worlds 1989 55‘

Directed by Natasha Solomons .

In the Bolivian highlands an English doctor is setting up a network of health care for remote mountain villages. While teaching the inhabitants the essentials of Western medicine the doctor is

South America Health / Health care / Healing Informant-researcher relationship Development projects

[a-donation-to-the-museum--Film-image]

A Donation to the Museum 2015 25‘

Directed by Teri F. Brewer .

Human remains from the California Channel Islands were donated to an English city museum nearly a century ago. More recently research began into how they came to be there, and whose remains they

North America Western Europe Archaeology Archival material / Museum displays

[dream-girls--Film-image]

Dream Girls 1993 50‘

Directed by Kim Longinotto Jano Williams .

This award-winning film opens a door into the amazing world of the Takarazuka Revue, the all-female theatre troupe in Japan. Thousands of young women aspire to perform in the Revue’s glitzy musical

Central Asia and Far East Public Figure Popular Culture Dance / Theatre / Performance Gender Role and Identity

[dreamcatcher--Film-image]

Dreamcatcher 2015 98‘

Directed by Kim Longinotto .

A film set in Chicago about an inspirational woman who has defied her past and now rescues girls and young women from a life on the streets.

North America Gender Role and Identity Labour Sex / Sexuality

[duminea-a-festival-for-the-water-spirits--Film-image]

Duminea: A Festival for the Water Spirits 1966 20‘

Directed by Frank Speed Robin Horton .

The communal rituals of most villages of the Eastern Niger Delta focus on two great classes of spirits – the heroes and the water people. The heroes once lived with the men, founded their

West Africa Ritual Possession

[eat-the-kimono--Film-image]

Eat the Kimono 1989 60‘

Directed by Kim Longinotto Claire Hunt .

A compelling biography of Hanayagi Genshu, a feminist and dancer who spent her lifetime defying the conservative traditions of Japanese society with her radical politics and unconventional

Central Asia and Far East Public Figure Gender Role and Identity Art / Artists / Artisans Dance / Theatre / Performance Alternative culture

[every-good-marriage-begins-with-tears--Film-image]

Every Good Marriage Begins With Tears 2007 63‘

Directed by Simon Chambers .

East London Muslim girl Shahanara is changing form pink hot pants into a sari to meet her husband at the airport. She has only met him once before, when she was married in a union arranged by her

London Family / Kinship Gender Role and Identity Marriage Intergenerational relations Social Norms

[extended-family--Film-image]

Extended Family 2016 31‘

Student Directed by Ramona Sonderegger .

This films offers an intimate insight into the lives of two same-sex families who found a way to create themselves within a legal grey area in Switzerland. Swiss law bans adoption and access to

Western Europe LGBTQI* Family / Kinship Sex / Sexuality Law and Legislation / Bureaucracy

[fatmawatis-wedding-the-weddings-of-two-sisters-the-preparations--Film-image]

Fatmawati’s Wedding: the Weddings of two Sisters, the Preparations 1998 50‘

Directed by Fiona Kerlogue .

This film records the preparations for the wedding of two sisters in eastern Sumatra in December 1996. There is an emphasis on the importance of the role of women in the village. Ritual exchanges

South-East Asia Gender Role and Identity Marriage Ritual Material Culture

[firth-on-firth--Film-image]

Firth on Firth 1993 49‘

Directed by Rolf Husmann Peter Loizos Werner Sperscheinder .

In a series of interviews in his London home and the London School of Economics, Sir Raymond Firth talks about his life and some of his personal views. The film focuses thus on his Maori studies,

British-Irish Isles History of Anthropology Public Figure

[fragments-from-the-past--Film-image]

Fragments from the Past 2006 27‘

Directed by Vedide Kaymak Hakan Demiralay .

In the days before DVD and satellite television, the cinema was important to London’s Turkish speaking population as a place to meet and as a link with home. Eight individuals recount their

British-Irish Isles Popular Culture Migration Film / Photography / Mass media

[gaea-girls--Film-image]

Gaea Girls 2000 106‘

Directed by Kim Longinotto Jano Williams .

A film about courage, transformation and dreams in the extraordinary world of Japanese women’s wrestling. Gaea Girls focuses on the hopes and fears of the beleaguered Gaea Japan squad, whose

Central Asia and Far East Gender Role and Identity Sport

[garden-days-village-in-papua-new-guinea--Film-image]

Garden Days: Village in Papua New Guinea 1988 25‘

Directed by Ariane Lewis Jon Jerstad .

A detailed account of domestic life in the Sepik area of Papua New Guinea, mainly from the women’s point of view. It describes their everyday activities in the ‘gardens’ in order to produce

Melanesia Agriculture / Farming Children / Young people Ritual

[gelede-a-yoruba-masquerade--Film-image]

Gelede: A Yoruba Masquerade 1970 30‘

Directed by Frank Speed Peggy Harper .

Among the Yoruba of Western Nigeria and Dahomey the Gelede cult honours the earth spirits, the ancestors and especially the Great Mother. The festival filmed here emphasises the status of women and

West Africa Gender Role and Identity Ritual Festivals / Carnival Social Conflict

[the-good-wife-of-tokyo--Film-image]

The Good Wife of Tokyo 1992 52‘

Directed by Kim Longinotto Clare Hunt .

Kazuko Hohki goes back to Tokyo with her band, the ‘Frank Chickens’, after living in England for 15 years. This wry and delightful film records her re-experiencing of Japan after a long absence,

Central Asia and Far East Music / Ethnomusicology Gender Role and Identity Marriage Social Change

[the-guest--Film-image]

The Guest 2012 20‘

Student Directed by Kira de Hemmer Jeppesen .

Following the personal story of a Danish first-time surrogate mother, ‘The Guest’ explores issues of maternal bonding, modern families, relatedness, and desired control over body and mind. We follow

Scandinavia LGBTQI* Sex / Sexuality Reproduction (biology) Family / Kinship

[the-guga-hunters-of-ness--Film-image]

The Guga Hunters of Ness 2010 59‘

Directed by Mike Day .

This film follows a vanishing community’s beloved and unique tradition. The Gaelic speakers of Lewis and Scotland are the only people in the EU exempt from a ban on hunting gannets, but they are

Western Europe Hunting / Gathering / Fishing Animals Ritual

[harmoni-healing-together--Film-image]

HARMONI: HEALING TOGETHER 2021 98‘

Directed by Erminia Colucci .

As a nation of 270 million, Indonesia is facing the grave task of caring for millions of people living with mental illness. Many have experienced human rights abuses in their lifetime. In communities

South-East Asia Health / Health care / Healing Religion / Belief / Faith

[heal-the-whole-man--Film-image]

Heal the Whole Man 1974 50‘

Directed by Paul Robinson .

The ‘Barolong boo Ratshidi’ are one of the group of Tswana peoples, who together form a culturally homogeneous population of over two million. The Barolong themselves number about 75’000 and

Southern Africa Religion / Belief / Faith Health / Health care / Healing

[herat-films-the-city-of-herat--Film-image]

Herat Films: The City of Herat 1983 21‘

Directed by John Baily .

These videos were edited from seven hours of Super 8 film shot by John Baily during two years of ethnomusicological fieldwork carried out in the Herat region of western Afghanistan between 1973 and

Middle and Near East Urban Trade

[herat-films-the-annual-cycle-of-music-in-herat--Film-image]

Herat Films: The Annual Cycle of Music in Herat 1983 54‘

Directed by John Baily .

These videos were edited from seven hours of Super 8 film shot by John Baily during two years of ethnomusicological fieldwork carried out in the Herat region of western Afghanistan between 1973 and

Middle and Near East Dance / Theatre / Performance Music / Ethnomusicology

[herat-films-the-shrines-of-herat--Film-image]

Herat Films: The Shrines of Herat 1983 30‘

Directed by John Baily .

These videos were edited from seven hours of Super 8 film shot by John Baily during two years of ethnomusicological fieldwork carried out in the Herat region of western Afghanistan between 1973 and

Middle and Near East Religion / Belief / Faith Urban

[hidden-faces--Film-image]

Hidden Faces 1990 52‘

Directed by Kim Longinotto .

This film reveals contradictions in the lives of Egyptian women in Muslim society. Living abroad, Safaa Fathy returns to Egypt to interview the internationally renowned feminist writer Nawal El

North and Northeast Africa Gender Role and Identity Development projects

[hold-me-tight-let-me-go--Film-image]

Hold Me Tight Let Me Go 2007 99‘

Directed by Kim Longinotto .

*The main reason I wanted to shoot is that when the kids misbehave, the teachers don’t punish them but try to find out why they are acting in such a way. The driving idea behind the school is to

British-Irish Isles Children / Young people Education / Knowledge Transmission Health / Health care / Healing

[holy-men-and-fools--Film-image]

Holy Men and Fools 2005 61‘

Directed by Michael Yorke .

The film narrates the story of Uma Giri, a Swedish woman who has become a Hindu nun, called Uma Giri. She is one of the few western women to be accepted into the most radical order of wandering

South Asia Religion / Belief / Faith Inter-religious relations Tourism / Travel / Pilgrimage

[horror-in-the-andes--Film-image]

Horror in the Andes 2019 33‘

Special Interest Directed by Martha-Cecilia Dietrich .

Horror in the Andes is a behind-the-scenes documentary that follows the process of making a horror movie in Ayacucho, Peru. Directed by audio-visual anthropologist Martha-Cecilia Dietrich, it

South America Art / Artists / Artisans Dance / Theatre / Performance Ethnofiction Film / Photography / Mass media Indigenous peoples / First Nations peoples

[it-was-tomorrow--Film-image]

IT WAS TOMORROW 2018 53‘

Student Directed by Alexandra D’onofrio .

After living in Italy for almost ten years without documents, three Egyptian men – Ali, Mahmoud and Mohamed – are suddenly awarded legal residence. As a whole new world of opportunities opens up to

Western Mediterranean Animation Art / Artists / Artisans Dance / Theatre / Performance Film / Photography / Mass media Life Story / Life History Memory Migration Research methods Participatory / Collaborative methods

[imbalu-ritual-of-manhood-of-the-gisu-of-uganda--Film-image]

Imbalu: Ritual of Manhood of the Gisu of Uganda 1988 69‘

Directed by Richard Hawkins .

An insightful documentary, constructed with visual restraint, about the male circumcision ritual among the Gisu of Uganda. The narrative follows one male participant through the ritual and contrasts

East Africa Ritual Gender Role and Identity

[in-the-light-of-memory--Film-image]

In the Light of Memory 2010 40‘

Directed by Alyssa Grossman .

‘In the Light of Memory’ explores evocations of memory in contemporary post-socialist Bucharest, nearly twenty years after the fall of Romanian communism. The film is shot in Cismigiu Gardens, one of

South-East Europe Memory Post-communism

[a-kabul-music-diary--Film-image]

A Kabul Music Diary 2003 52‘

Directed by John Baily .

Ethnomusicologist John Baily returns to Kabul to see what is happening in the world of music one year after the defeat of the Taliban. The film documents a variety of musical activities, including

Middle and Near East Music / Ethnomusicology War / Conflict / Reconciliation

[kalanda-the-knowledge-of-the-bush--Film-image]

Kalanda – the Knowledge of the Bush 2014 62‘

Directed by Lorenzo Ferrarini .

In some parts of West Africa, hunting is much more than killing animals. A donso is no common hunter, but a healer, a diviner, a ritual specialist and amulet maker. Kalanda is a unique initiatory

West Africa Hunting / Gathering / Fishing Religion / Belief / Faith Education / Knowledge Transmission Ritual

[kanraxel-the-confluence-of-agnack--Film-image]

Kanraxël: the Confluence of Agnack 2015 52‘

Student Directed by Remigiusz (aka Remi) Sowa .

**DVD copies are available for secondary teaching and home use at the following prices: £35 (plus VAT) schools and colleges; £20 (plus VAT) individual / home use licence** Agnack is a

West Africa Linguistics / Language Social Change

[keepers-of-the-faith-the-buddhist-nuns-of-sagaing-hills--Film-image]

Keepers of the Faith: The Buddhist Nuns of Sagaing Hills 1996 51‘

Directed by Hiroko Kawanami .

In the Sagaing Hills, 12 miles from the ancient capital of Mandalay are hundreds of pagodas, stupas, monasteries and nunneries which form a focal point of worship for Buddhism in Burma. In 1986 the

South-East Asia Religion / Belief / Faith Collective / Community identity Gender Role and Identity

[kwagh-hir--Film-image]

Kwagh Hir 1975 30‘

Directed by Frank Speed Peggy Harper .

Four million Tiv people form the major culture of the Benue state of southern Nigeria. They are popularly known as the greatest democrats in Africa as their society is based on fraternal cooperation

West Africa Festivals / Carnival Dance / Theatre / Performance Ritual

[the-last-navigator--Film-image]

The Last Navigator 1989 50‘

Directed by André Singer .

This is the story of two cultures and two technologies. An American navigator is taught the skills of navigation by a traditional Micronesian navigator on Satawal island. The American tries to

Micronesia Tourism / Travel / Pilgrimage Infrastructure / Transport Education / Knowledge Transmission

[law-and-war-in-rural-kenya--Film-image]

Law and War in Rural Kenya 2010 64‘

Directed by Suzette Heald .

In 1998, a new movement swept through Kuria, in south western Kenya with dramatic effect. Cattle raiding fuelled by the increasing presence of guns had led to a situation of total insecurity, with

East Africa War / Conflict / Reconciliation Law and Legislation / Bureaucracy

[lessons-from-gulam--Film-image]

Lessons from Gulam 1986 52‘

Directed by John Baily .

A detailed study of musical enculturation within the Asian community of Bradford in northern England. Gulam Musa is the principal character and he is shown as a teacher and as a musician. The film

British-Irish Isles Music / Ethnomusicology Education / Knowledge Transmission

[letters-from-palestine--Film-image]

Letters from Palestine 2011 35‘

Directed by Ludovica Fales .

What if in your great-grandfather’s letters there is a mystery your family doesn’t want to talk about? In 1920 Angelo Levi Bianchini set out to Palestine on an Italian diplomatic mission and never

Western Mediterranean Middle and Near East War / Conflict / Reconciliation Memory History

[life-chances-four-families-in-a-greek-cypriot-village--Film-image]

Life Chances: Four Families in a Greek Cypriot Village 1974 43‘

Directed by Peter Loizos .

A careful account of social change in a prosperous Greek Cypriot village, which follows four closely related families before the Turkish made them all refugees. Their lives reflect the possibilities

South-East Europe Social Change Life Story / Life History Rural Family / Kinship

[masks-of-mer--Film-image]

Masks of Mer 2010 37‘

Directed by Michael Eaton .

The film Alfred Haddon made in 1898 in the Torres Straits, lasting for less than a minute, is the world’s first example of anthropological cinema. ‘The Masks of Mer’ tells the extraordinary story of

Australia History of Anthropology Film / Photography / Mass media Archival material / Museum displays Ritual

[matai-samoa--Film-image]

Matai Samoa 1989 65‘

Directed by George Milner .

The film is a valuable treatment of archival footage that George Milner shot while conducting fieldwork in 1955 and 1959. The footage (18 minutes of the total film) focuses on the traditional Samoan

New Zealand and Polynesia History of Anthropology Film / Photography / Mass media Social Organisation Archival material / Museum displays Ritual

[mirror-mirror--Film-image]

Mirror Mirror 2006 58‘

Directed by Zemirah Moffat .

Mirror Mirror is based on an audio-visual ethnography of London’s queer Club Wotever. Begun in the autumn of 2003, it promoted itself as a club that welcomed all genders and sexualities – a

British-Irish Isles LGBTQI* Sex / Sexuality Gender Role and Identity

[new-images--Film-image]

New Images 1964 27‘

Directed by Ulli Beier Frank Speed .

The film is a brief description of life in a busy commercial centre that still depends upon and retains its ancient traditions. These are based on the history of the town which was founded on the

West Africa Art / Artists / Artisans Religion / Belief / Faith Archival material / Museum displays

[nkabom-a-little-medicine-a-little-prayer--Film-image]

Nkabom: A little medicine A little prayer 2021 79‘

Werbner Award Directed by Erminia Colucci .

A mother is caring for her son at a healing shrine on the edge of a village in the central belt of Ghana. In another village, a father has taken his son to several Christian and traditional healers

West Africa Health / Health care / Healing Religion / Belief / Faith

[pepe--Film-image]

Pepe 2004 23‘

Directed by Juana Schlenker .

Pepe is a Spanish immigrant who came to England more than forty years ago to work as a waiter. After working in several restaurants and hotels, he retired two years ago and now he fills his days with

British-Irish Isles Migration Elderly people

[photo-wallahs--Film-image]

Photo Wallahs 1991 60‘

Directed by David MacDougall Judith MacDougall .

This film is an exploration of the cultural and personal meanings of photographs in a hill station in northern India. The ‘photo wallahs’ are the local photographers of Mussoorie, a town which

South Asia Film / Photography / Mass media Tourism / Travel / Pilgrimage

[pink-saris--Film-image]

Pink Saris 2010 100‘

Directed by Kim Longinotto .

Pink saris are worn by the Gulabi Gang, a group of women vigilantes in Northern India. From the untouchable caste, they resist being condescended to as the lowest social class. They have a champion

South Asia Gender Role and Identity Resistance Socioeconomic conditions

[raju-and-his-friends--Film-image]

Raju and His Friends 1988 40‘

Directed by Marcus Banks .

This film is set in the city of Jamnagar, western India. The film focuses on the emotions, quality of life, and on duty. Raju’s friendship with different people, including the director, provide a

South Asia Urban Informant-researcher relationship Life Story / Life History

[reclaiming-the-forest--Film-image]

Reclaiming the Forest 1987 39‘

Directed by Paul Henley Georges Drion .

National governments, itinerant gold-miners, and indigenous inhabitants compete for control of an area of the South American rainforest. The film shows the potential conflict between the interests

South America Land Rights Indigenous peoples / First Nations peoples Social Change Social Conflict

[the-red-bowmen--Film-image]

The Red Bowmen 1981 50‘

Directed by Chris Owen .

In a remote part of the West Sepik Province of Papua New Guinea, the Umeda people eke out a difficult living from the sago swamps and primary rain forest that surround them. Until recently, these

Melanesia Ritual Religion / Belief / Faith History of Anthropology

[return-of-the-nightingales--Film-image]

Return of the Nightingales 2013 33‘

Directed by John Baily .

In 2010 Afghan musicologist Dr. Ahmad Sarmast opened the Afghanistan National Institute of Music (ANIM), a coeducational vocational music school in Kabul that teaches Afghan, Indian and Western

South Asia Music / Ethnomusicology Education / Knowledge Transmission Children / Young people

[returning-home-revival-of-a-bosnian-village--Film-image]

Returning Home: Revival of a Bosnian Village 2001 48‘

Directed by Tone Bringa Peter Loizos .

The film is the sequel to ‘We are all Neighbours’, the 1993 Granada Disappearing World film, about the breakdown of relations between Muslims and Croats as war overtakes their ethnically mixed

South-East Europe War / Conflict / Reconciliation Collective / Community identity Refugees / Displaced populations

[rough-aunties--Film-image]

Rough Aunties 2008 103‘

Directed by Kim Longinotto .

Jackie, Mildred, Eureka and Thuli are the women behind Bobbi Bear, a nonprofit organization based in Durban, South Africa, that counsels sexually abused children and works to bring their abusers to

Southern Africa Socioeconomic conditions Children / Young people Development projects

[runaway--Film-image]

Runaway 2001 87‘

Directed by Kim Longinotto Ziba Mir-Hosseini .

This film is set in a refuge for girls in Tehran and follows the stories of five girls who come here. These girls, in leaving a situation that has become intolerable, show incredible courage and

Middle and Near East Children / Young people Social Change Gender Role and Identity

[salma--Film-image]

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

[scenes-of-afghan-music-london-kabul-hamburg-dublin--Film-image]

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

Directed by John Baily .

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

[shinjuku-boys--Film-image]

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

[sisters-in-law--Film-image]

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

[sons-of-the-moon--Film-image]

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

[sophia-and-her-people--Film-image]

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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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Tablas and Drum Machines: Afghan Music in California 2001 58‘

Directed by John Baily .

Ethnomusicologist John Baily visits Fremont, California, the new home of the large community of exiled Afghans. He is joined by Kabuli master-musician, Ustad Asif Mahmoud, who plans to open a small

North America Music / Ethnomusicology Education / Knowledge transmission Refugees / Displaced populations

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Tayuban: Dancing the Spirit in Java 1996 30‘

Directed by Felicia Hughes-Freeland .

Once a year a ritual is held in a Javanese village. After a distribution of food, men dance with professional female dancers. Their allegedly sexual ethos makes these ‘tayuban’ unacceptable as

South-East Asia Ritual Dance / Theatre / Performance Sex / Sexuality Gender Role and Identity

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Theatre Girls 1979 57‘

Directed by Kim Longinotto Claire Pollack .

The “Theatre Girls Club” is a hostel for homeless, destitute and alcoholic women in Soho, London. It is run by six paid workers and it is the only hostel in London which takes any women at any

British-Irish Isles Squatter Settlements / Homelessness Socioeconomic conditions Gender Role and Identity

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There is Nothing Wrong with my Uncle 2012 78‘

Directed by Sylvie Bringas Dul Johnson .

Nigerian writer Dul Johnson returns to Tarok land to observe the local death rituals and the record of the Tarok ways of dealing with grief and honoring departed. This film provides a rare and

West Africa Death Religion / Belief / Faith Ritual

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Tindaya Variations 2018 40‘

Special Interest Directed by Isaac Marrero-Guillamon .

The mountain of Tindaya (Fuerteventura, Canary Islands) is more than a mountain. It was a sacred site for the indigenous people of Fuerteventura; later, its rock was quarried and sold for ornamental

Western Mediterranean Archival material / Museum displays Art / Artists / Artisans Environment Material Culture Indigenous peoples / First Nations peoples Archaeology

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A Town in Sicily 2015 120‘

Directed by Toni de Bromhead .

Castellammare is a ‘high-density Mafia’ seaside town. Local government is infiltrated, its economy is stagnant and there is no future for its youth. A group of angry young Sicilians now wish to

South-East Europe Political Activists

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Transfiction 2007 58‘

Directed by Johannes Sjøberg .

Transfiction explores ‘ethnofiction’ – an experimental ethnographic documentary film style in which the participants collaborate with the filmmaker to act out their own and others’ life experiences

South America Reflexivity Film / Photography / Mass media Gender Role and Identity Sex / Sexuality LGBTQI* Ethnofiction

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Treasured Moments 2016 33‘

Student Directed by Ravi Hart Lloyd .

This is the personal story of a boy who grew up mixed in every aspect of his life, his parents, where he was from, his race. The black kid who thought that he was white. The white kid who thought

Caribbean Islands North America Family / Kinship Race / Racism / Antiracism Collective / Community identity Film / Photography / Mass media

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Trobriand Cricket: An Ingenious Response to Colonialism 1974 50‘

Directed by Gary Kildea Jerry Leach .

The film documents the transformation by the Trobriand Islanders of the game of cricket, first introduced by British missionaries into a highly distinctive political ritual. Shot in 1973-1974,

Melanesia Sport Colonialism / Postcolonialism Political Activists

[the-trobriand-islanders--Film-image]

The Trobriand Islanders 1952 58‘

Directed by Harry Powell .

During his field work in the region of Omarakana, H.A.Powell filmed various sequences from which the film is assembled. In spite of the technical handicaps under which he was operating — shooting

Melanesia Everyday Life

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Uncanny Strangers 2009 46‘

Directed by David Picard .

Uncanny Strangers has been filmed in a fishing village in the South-West of Madagascar. Through a series of everyday life episodes the film provides insight into the relationships between the

East Africa Tourism / Travel / Pilgrimage Development projects Environment

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Unravel 2012 14‘

Directed by Meghna Gupta .

‘Unravel’ follows the Western worlds least wanted clothes, on a journey across Northern India, from sea to industrial interior. They get sent to Panipat, a sleepy town and the only place in the world

South Asia Labour Material Culture Collective / Community identity

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Ustad Rahim 2008 55‘

Directed by John Baily .

Shot in the city of Heart, western Afghanistan 1994, in the period between the fall of the last leftist government and the coming of the Taliban, this is a portrait film of an outstanding musician,

South Asia Music / Ethnomusicology Education / Knowledge Transmission Personal Narrative

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The Water Goddess and the Computer 1989 52‘

Directed by André Singer Steven Lansing .

The film demonstrates how in Bali, development projects can threaten a carefully balanced ecological irrigation system that is maintained by temple priests. A biologist and an anthropologist look at

South-East Asia Infrastructure / Transport Development projects Environment