Explore the 2019 programme below, either by browsing the separate sections, or looking at the timetable view.
Student showcases films made by the new generation of ethnographic filmmakers, often as part of doctoral projects
RAI/Basil Wright features the films competing for the top prizes at this year’s festival
Material Culture focuses on films with something to say about the way we engage with our material world
Intangible Culture explores worlds of music, dance, performance, and ritual
Special Interest explores a range of fascinating topics, including programmes with a special director or thematic focus
Shorts is new for 2019, and celebrates the best in short-form ethnographic filmmaking as a cauldron of innovation
This film quietly observes her daily life of Xiao Yue, a bright 22-year-old young woman from Yunnan province in the South of China. We see Xiao Yue cook, care for her grandmother, sew, and farm - but also visit an amusement arcade with friends, and talk with her boyfriend on her smartphone. Xiao Yue is of the Dai ethnic group, and whilst she prepares costumes for traditional celebrations, she reflects on her aversion to marrying a fellow Dai, seeking the greater gender equality and modernity she perceives in China’s dominant Han culture. A subtle and affectionate portrait of a young woman embedded in a traditional culture yet networked into the global flows of images and ideologies.
Location(s) depicted
Denghong Autonomous Prefecture
Yunnan Province, China
Language(s) of film subjects
Dai language, Mandarin
