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
Burrakatha is a storytelling art form in the Telangana and Andhra regions of India. Emerging in the 1940s, amidst the struggle against feudal oppression and the Indian freedom movement, Burrakatha was a medium for dissent. It continued to be used to speak about other social issues after independence, but eventually diminished. This film uses Burrakatha as a narrator to fill in pieces of Telangana’s history, and to celebrate the power of art as a means of dissent. Whilst Burrakatha may have fallen out of favour, it carries on a vibrant tradition that still resonates in contemporary India. This film celebrates its spirit.
Location(s) depicted
State of Telangana, India
Language(s) of film subjects
Telugu (English subtitles)
