Key research themes
1. How do Indigenous and source communities engage with and reclaim ethnographic film as historical and cultural artifacts?
This research area addresses the reception, reinterpretation, and ownership of ethnographic films by the Indigenous peoples and source communities featured in them. It explores the processes of visual repatriation, collaborative re-narration, and the complex roles of ethnographic films as both anthropological texts and community historical documents. Understanding this theme highlights the ethical, epistemological, and methodological shifts necessary to center Indigenous perspectives and knowledge production in anthropological filmmaking and exhibition.
2. What are the methodological and ethical challenges involved in anthropological film-making at the intersection of scientific rigor, artistic expression, and collaborative authorship?
This theme investigates the tensions between anthropological scientific objectives and artistic storytelling in ethnographic filmmaking, as well as the role of collaboration and shared authority with film participants. It includes inquiries into how filmmakers negotiate their multiple roles, ethical responsibilities concerning representation and consent, and the necessity for reflexivity and methodological innovation to navigate these complexities. These challenges affect the epistemological validity and ethical integrity of anthropological films.
3. How can feminist and sensory ethnographic filmmaking methodologies advance embodied and decolonized representations in anthropological film?
This theme explores feminist sensory ethnography as a critical methodological framework that centers care, subjectivity, and power relations among filmmakers, subjects, and audiences. It interrogates dominant observational paradigms and colonial legacies in ethnographic film, proposing embodied, multisensorial approaches that honor indigenous and feminist epistemologies. The theme advances reflexive and accountable filmmaking practices that co-create knowledge through intimate, collaborative, and decolonizing modalities.