Traditions in Transition

"Nuba Conversations" plays Sun., April 29, 3pm, at the Union Theater

The latter half of the 20th century has brought rapid change, sometimes extinction, to cultures that once seemed almost frozen in time. Political forces have marched into practically every village of the globe. Not one remains untouched. The 18 selections in UT's 2001 Festival of Ethnographic Film, April 27-29, provide images of these traditions in transition. After viewing them all, I began to wonder if the most endangered species on earth isn't the human being trying to live within a traditional culture.

The festival provides an exciting, thought-provoking, and sometimes heart-rending journey to Asia, Africa, Europe, North America, and the Caribbean. The films raise so many questions at once: What is the effect of evaporating frontiers and massive migrations? Are cultures destroyed when "nations" are built? Are cultures now a postmodern pastiche? What is the effect of "ethnic cleansing" on once-vibrant cultures?

To get a better understanding of ethnography at the beginning of the 21st century, I met with six members of the Film Festival committee (Elizabeth Fernea, Robert Fernea, Guha Shankar, Ben Hodges, John Schaefer, and Mark Westmoreland). In the best post-structuralist manner, six viewpoints were presented for almost every issue. Space doesn't allow more than a mention of these fascinating topics, but I will list some of them as a way of thinking about the films in the festival. In doing so, I break one of the cardinal rules of current anthropological practice -- let the subject speak:

Distinctions between documentaries and ethnographic films. Disappearing notion of the objective observer as a neutral recording machine. Inclusion of the subjects as active participants in the entire filmmaking process. Ideological positions of the filmmakers. Problems of film distribution. Changing styles of ethnographic film. Impact of digital media (will more footage necessarily make better films?). Impact of presence of filmmaker on what is before the camera. Effects of editing and music on the "truth" of what is being seen.

Some critics have said that the ethnographic film is dead, particularly because so many funding resources have disappeared. However, the Royal Anthropological Institute received more than 300 films for the Seventh International Festival of Ethnographic Film in December 2000. One of the judges at that festival was Elizabeth Fernea, UT Professor Emeritus of English and Middle-Eastern Studies, who is part of a cooperative effort by nine departments and centers at UT to bring these films to Austin. She will speak during the festival, along with anthropology professor Robert Fernea and filmmakers Asen Balikci and Jasmine Dellal. For more information, see www.utexas.edu/cola/depts/anthropology/Ethnofilmfest/index.html or call 471-4206.