Film In Anthropology

Timetable

The timetable will be announced in late February 2025.

Module aim (aims)

 

1. Introducing students to the ethnographic film genre from a historical perspective, with a particular focus on the epistemic, methodological and ethical aspects of filmmaking 
2. Allowing students to acquire hands-on familiarity with the specificity of ethnographic film as a form of anthropological research and representation
3. Introducing students to the most significant ethnographic films as well as documentary films and genres that shaped the contemporary state-of-the-art in visual anthropology
 
Students will gain a thorough understanding of ethnographic film, its origins, development and contemporary challenges from its earliest inspirations and experiments to the most recent and innovative works. The course will consist of screenings of documentary films which shaped or formed the core of visual anthropology, paired with an introduction to the respective theoretical debates about the place and practice of ethnographic filmmaking in the discipline of anthropology. The course will also give students an opportunity to engage in critical discussions on screened masterworks and consider the place of audio-visual media in the discipline of ethnology/cultural anthropology. The course is aimed to construe a theoretical introduction to film as a visual research method, a form of intersubjective engagement and a medium of representation for academic work. The course will be of particular interest to Social Sciences and Humanities students, particularly in the fields of cultural anthropology, sociology, cultural studies, film studies and history.

Pre-requisites in terms of knowledge, skills and social competences (where relevant)

Ability to communicate in written and spoken English.

Syllabus

LEARNING MODULE DESCRIPTION (SYLLABUS)

I.General information
1. Module title: Ethnographic cinema
2. Module code EC
3. Module type – compulsory or optional optional
4. Programme title: AMU-PIE, Erasmus+, CREOLE
5. Cycle of studies (1st or 2nd cycle of studies or full master’s programme) 1st and 2nd
6. Year of studies (where relevant)2nd and 3rd (1st cycle) / 1st and 2nd (2nd cycle)
7. Terms in which taught (summer/winter term) winter
8. Type of classes and the number of contact hours (e.g. lectures: 15 hours; practical classes: 30 hours)30h (lectures 15h, seminars 15h)
9. Number of ECTS credits: 5
10.Name, surname, academic degree of the module lecturer, e-mail: Dr Jan Lorenz, jan.lorenz@amu.edu.pl
11.Language of classes: English

1. Introducing students to the ethnographic film genre from a historical perspective, with a particular focus on the epistemic, methodological and ethical aspects of filmmaking 
2. Allowing students to acquire hands-on familiarity with the specificity of ethnographic film as a form of anthropological research and representation
3. Introducing students to the most significant ethnographic films as well as documentary films and genres that shaped the contemporary state-of-the-art in visual anthropology
 
Students will gain a thorough understanding of ethnographic film, its origins, development and contemporary challenges from its earliest inspirations and experiments to the most recent and innovative works. The course will consist of screenings of documentary films which shaped or formed the core of visual anthropology, paired with an introduction to the respective theoretical debates about the place and practice of ethnographic filmmaking in the discipline of anthropology. The course will also give students an opportunity to engage in critical discussions on screened masterworks and consider the place of audio-visual media in the discipline of ethnology/cultural anthropology. The course is aimed to construe a theoretical introduction to film as a visual research method, a form of intersubjective engagement and a medium of representation for academic work. The course will be of particular interest to Social Sciences and Humanities students, particularly in the fields of cultural anthropology, sociology, cultural studies, film studies and history.
2. Pre-requisites in terms of knowledge, skills and social competencies (where relevant): Interest in the course topics, ability to communicate in written and spoken English. Prior introduction to anthropological/ethnological concepts and ideas is desirable, but not required

3. Module learning outcomes in terms of knowledge, skills and social competencies and their reference to programme learning outcomes

Upon completion of the course, the student will:
a. have a general knowledge of the history of ethnographic filmmaking E_W02; b. be able to identify the main anthropological perspectives on ethnographic film c. be able to identify the main theoretical and formal influences that shaped ethnographic filmmaking and its anthropological perception
d. recognise and understand contemporary trends in ethnographic filmmaking as well as its methodological, epistemological and ethical concerns. e. understand the place of ethnographic film in the larger context of sensory anthropology
e. become familiar with debates on ethnographic film and filmmaking in anthropology/ethnology and within its sub-discipline of visual anthropology
f. gain competence in the critical analysis of documentary film as a form of anthropological representation

Class topics:
01Introduction Early ethnographic filmmakers Kino-pravda and kino-glaz: the legacy of Soviet experimental documentary filmmaking
02 American Direct cinema and French Cinema vérité
03 Observational cinema in anthropology. Participative filmmaking and transcultural cinema. Criticism.
04 Cine-trance, ethno-fiction and filmic storytelling.
05 Aesthetics and metaphors—art and ethnography.
06 Experiments in ethnographic films. Montage, non-linearity and participatory video projects.
07 Sensory immersion and the new observational style.

Recommended general readings:
Banks, Marcus, and Howard Morphy. 1997. Rethinking visual anthropology. New Haven: Yale University Press.
Banks, Marcus, and Jay Ruby. 2011. Made to be seen: perspectives on the history of visual anthropology. Chicago; London: University of Chicago Press.
Catherine Russell, 1999. Experimental ethnography: the work of film in the age of video. Duke University Press.
Engelbrecht, Beate. 2007. Memories of the origins of ethnographic film. Frankfurt am Main: Peter Lang.
Hockings, Paul. 1975. Principles of visual anthropology, World anthropology. The Hague: Mouton.
Pink, Sarah. 2015. Doing sensory ethnography. Second edition. London; Thousand Oaks, California: Sage Publications.
Schneider, A. and Pasqualino, C. eds., 2014. Experimental film and anthropology. A&C Black.

Compulsory bi-weekly readings. The course convenor will provide a list of compulsory readings in the first class.

Student workload (ECTS credits)
Contact hours with the teacher as specified in the programme 30h

Preparation for classes (readings and analysis) 75h
Writing reports (every two weeks) 15h
Preparing for the final exam 20h
Total hours 140
Class hours – 1 hour means 45 minutes

Assessment criteria:
Students are expected to attend all seminars (in order to pass students must not have more than two unauthorised absences).In order to successfully pass the course, students are required to prepare for each class and actively participate in seminar discussions. The assessment for this course takes two forms. Students are expected to actively participate in class discussions (10% of the final mark) as well as to write a mid-term assignment (20% of the final mark) and the final assignment  (70% of the final mark).

Grades:A/5 B/4+ C/4 D/3+ E/3 F/2
EXCELLENT - outstanding performance VERY GOOD - above average with few minor mistakes and/or omissions GOOD - generally sound work with some minor mistakes and/or omissions SATISFACTORY – fair, but with a number of serious mistakes and/or omissions SUFFICIENT – fair, but with significant shortcomings FAIL.
5

Reading list

Provided by the course convenor in the first class session.