Cross-Cultural Filmmaking

Creating films independent of the "anthropological" stand point is a complicated process. To study a situation, people, or specific culture we must be as open and truthful as possible without giving the purpose of the piece away. Not only are the different mechanics of filmmaking essential but also research and the collaboration of outside influences (i.e. subjects) are necessary in the making and ultimately the distribution of the film. Cross Cultural Filmmaking speaks honestly about these matters in a way that is so helpful to someone who is beginning the processes. Because I have been introduced in some form to such concepts of documentary styles collaboration, and such through helpful documentaries, people, and books the reiteration and newness of the methods helps to redefine and strengthen my abilities as a visionary filmmaker in training.
IT WAS SO VERY INTERESTING; YESTERDAY I HAPPENED UPON A MOVIE, AN EDUCATIONAL DOC. HIGHLIGHTING THE AMAZING WORKS OF FOLKLORE WRITER ZORA NEALE HURSTON PREVIOUS TO FINISHING CROSS CULTURAL FILMMAKING. A HEART WITH ROOM FOR EVERY JOY WASN’T ONE OF THOSE FILMS YOU WOULD WATCH OVER AND OVER AGAIN BUT IT DID SERVE ITS PURPOSE: TO EDUCATE IN THAT CURT MINI SERIES KIND OF WAY. DURING MY YOUNGER DAYS IN MEMPHIS, TN I HAD HEARD AND READ TIDBITS OF HER NAME, WRITINGS, AND SAYINGS HERE AND THERE BUT WHAT INTRIGUED ME MOST WAS HER IMMENSE BODY OF ANTHROPOLOGICAL WORK IN CONJUNCTION TO HER INSTINCTIVE STORIES. I HAVE ALWAYS LOVED THE THINGS THAT I HEARD ABOUT HER BUT I DID NOT REALIZE THE EXTENT OF HER ANTHROPOLOGICAL WORK THAT NOT QUITE SURPRISINGLY INCLUDED A FILM STUDY. HURSTON, AN ARTIST, USED HER WORK AND HER ABILITIES TO WALK THROUGH HARLEM WHILE MEASURING HEADS, TREK THROUGH THE SOUTH SINGING SONGS WITH THE PEOPLE, AND JOURNEY THROUGH HAITI PERFORMING IN RITUALIZED VOODUN CEREMONIES. UOPN STUMBLING UPON THIS NEW FILM TITLE RECENTLY RECEIVED BY WHYNDHAM ROBERTSON LIBRARY, IT QUIETLY FERMENTED THE IMPORTANCE “ANTHROPOLOGY” IN DIFFERENT GENRES AND SERVED AS ONE OF POTENTIAL OTHER GUIDES IN THE PEOPLE COULD FLY JOURNEY. THOUGH HURSTON DOCUMENTED IN MOSTLY WRITING I COULDN’T’ HELP BUT BE GLAD THAT AS A FILMMAKER THE STORY OF HER WORK WAS COMING TO ME THROUGH FILM LANGUAGE AS I AM CREATING MY STORIES AND OTHERS THROUGH THAT MEDIUM. THOUGH NOT OBVIOUSLY CONNECTED SHE WAS AN ANTHROPOLOGIST, I AM SOMETIMES WORKING THROUGH THAT VAIN, I AM CONSTANTLY READING A BOOKS ON AND ABOUT ANTHROPOLOGICAL FILM, AND WHAT DO YOU KNOW? IT ALL CONNECTS!
BEFORE I GET TOTALLY OFF THE TOPIC OF THE BOOK AND ETHNOGRAPHIC FILMMAKING LET ME REDIRECT TO THE TOPIC OF THE DIFFERENT STYLES OF DOCUMENTATION. WHAT STOOD OUT DURING THE READING MOST WAS “OBSERVATIONAL” FILM STLYE. THIS METHOD SEEKS TO TELL OR SEEM TO TELL LIFE OR THE SUBJECT AS IT IS BY OBSERVING ACTIONS AND HAPPENINGS RATHER THAN IMPOSING POV NARRATIVE OR POETIC SCENES UPON THE VIEWING AUDIENCE. AS I CONTINUE TO EXPERIMENT WITH THE SHOOTING STYLES OF MY PROJECT I FIND THAT OBSERVATIONAL FILMING STYLISTICALLY IS VERY INTERESTING. IT REQUIRES THAT I BE IN TUNE TO WHAT IS GOING ON IN AND AROUND MY SUBJECTS. THIS STYLE SEEKS TO MAKE THE AUDIENCE “PUT THE PIECES TOGETHER FOR THEMSELVES” WHICH “ALSO DEMANDS A MORE ACTIVE VIEWING EXPERIENCE”(28).
IT CAN ALSO BRING A NEWNESS AND EXCITEMENT TO THE FILMMAKERS AS THESE FILMS “RARELY HAVE A SINGLE TIGHT NARRATIVE AND ARE USUALLY CONNECTED THROUGH A SERIES OF SEMICONNECTED SCENES.”(28)
ANOTHER IMPORTANT CONSIDERATION AND HEAVY TOPIC IS COLLABORATION. WHEN CREATING A DOCUMENTARY I FEEL THERE IS ALWAYS COLLABORATION OF SOME KIND WHETHER IT BE IN FICTIONAL NARRATIVE FILMS WITH COLLABORATION BETWEEN THE ACTRESSES, ACTORS, AND DIRECTORS OR, ACCORDING TO CROSS CULTURAL FILMMAKING, THERE CAN BE COLLABORATIONS BETWEEN THE ANTHROPOLOGISTS AND FILMMAKERS, THE MAIN SUBJECTS AND FILMMAKER, OR WHOLE COMMUNITIES.THERE IS COLLABORATION IN FILM PERIOD. HOWEVER, THERE ARE ALWAYS VARYING DEGREES. ANTHROPOLGICAL FILMMAKING, I FEEL, IS DIFFERENT BECAUSE THERE IS A MORE PERSONAL ASPECT. FOR ETHNOGRAPHIC FILMS SHOW PEOPLE HOW OTHERS LIVE OR THEIR PERCEPTION OF HOW PEOPLE LIVE. THEN THERE MUST OR MAY NOT BE COLLABORATION WITH THOSE INDIVIDUALS OR SUBJECTS. IN MY CASE, I AM COLLABORATING WITH MY SISTERS. THE GOOD THING IS THAT WE KNOW EACH OTHER AND CAN WORK TOGETHER. EACH PERSON HANDELS THEIR SPECIFIC FIELD WHETHER IT IS FILMMAKING, PHOTO, BUSINESS, ETC. HOWEVER, COLLABORATIONS CAN BE SOMETIMES BITTER SWEET OR JUST BITTER. IN MANY CASES “SOME CRITICS CHARGE THAT THE VERY CONCEPT OF COLLABORATION IS CHMERA.”(89) THOUGH I AM WORKING WITH MY SIBLINGS, I AM SINGULARLY WORKING ON THE CONCEPTION OF THE FILM. THEREFORE I WOULD NOT HAVE THE SAME HANGUPS AS SOMEONE WHO MUST APPROVE SUNDRY DETAILS BY HIS OR HER PARTNER/S FOR “IT IS NOT ONLY DIFFICULT IN PRACTICE BUT ALSO IN THEORY”(89).
APART FROM THE NORMAL FILMIC PROCESSES ETHNOGRAPHIC FILMMAKING HAS ITS DETAILED PROCESSES. THOUGH I DON’T NECESSARILY THINK OF MYSELF AS AN ANTHROPOLOGIST I AM STUDYING AND FILMING PEOPLE IN DIFFERENT REGIONS, DOWN BYWAYS AND HIGHWAYS, AND IN SECRET AND NOT SO HIDDEN PLACES, SO THIS BOOK HITS THE MARK IF EVER I NEEDED TO NOW SOMETHING IN THE ANTHROPOLOGICAL VAIN OR IN SIMPLE FILMMAKING PROCESSES IN GENERAL (F-STOP). ON TOP O’ THAT, MANY OF THE FILMMAKERS THE AUTHORS REFERENCE, FROM ANDRE BAZIN TO THE MAYSLE BROTHERS, ARE EXCEPTIONAL ARTISTS. THEREFORE CROSS-CULTUAL FILMMAKING IS A HELPFUL AND STRAIGHTFORWARD GUIDE TO THE PROWESS OF LEARNING PRACTICAL YET IN DEPTH KNOWLEDGE ABOUT DOCUMENTARIES.