Browse Titles - 48 results
See details
The Ax Fight
written by Napoleon A. Chagnon, 1938-; directed by Timothy Asch, 1932-1994 and Napoleon A. Chagnon, 1938-; produced by Timothy Asch, 1932-1994 and Napoleon A. Chagnon, 1938- (Watertown, MA: Documentary Educational Resources (DER), 1975), 30 mins
A fight broke out in Mishimishimabowei-teri on the second day of Chagnon and Asch's stay in this village in 1971. The conflict developed between the villagers of Mishimishimabowei-teri and their visitors from another village. The visitors had formerly been part of Mishimishimabowei-teri, and many still had ties wi...
Sample
written by Napoleon A. Chagnon, 1938-; directed by Timothy Asch, 1932-1994 and Napoleon A. Chagnon, 1938-; produced by Timothy Asch, 1932-1994 and Napoleon A. Chagnon, 1938- (Watertown, MA: Documentary Educational Resources (DER), 1975), 30 mins
Description
A fight broke out in Mishimishimabowei-teri on the second day of Chagnon and Asch's stay in this village in 1971. The conflict developed between the villagers of Mishimishimabowei-teri and their visitors from another village. The visitors had formerly been part of Mishimishimabowei-teri, and many still had ties with members of that village. A fight broke out in Mishimishimabowei-teri on the second day of Chagnon and Asch's stay in this village in...
A fight broke out in Mishimishimabowei-teri on the second day of Chagnon and Asch's stay in this village in 1971. The conflict developed between the villagers of Mishimishimabowei-teri and their visitors from another village. The visitors had formerly been part of Mishimishimabowei-teri, and many still had ties with members of that village. A fight broke out in Mishimishimabowei-teri on the second day of Chagnon and Asch's stay in this village in 1971. The conflict developed between the villagers of Mishimishimabowei-teri and their visitors from another village. The visitors had formerly been part of Mishimishimabowei-teri, and many still had ties with members of that village. They refused to work in their hosts' gardens, yet they demanded to be fed. The event lasted about half an hour, ten minutes of which were filmed. The film is constructed of four parts. The first consists of an unedited version of what the cameraman saw and the sound technician recorded. The apparent chaos of these first ten minutes is clarified in the second section, in which Chagnon explains the sequence of actions, the relationships between the actors, and how the filmmakers' interpretation of the events became coherent. The third section diagrams the lineages in the villages involved to illustrate the fight's relationship to long-standing patterns of conflict and alliance within the village. Finally, in an edited version of the fight, we see how the editors' hands shape the "reality" we view. The Ax Fight thus operates on several levels. It plunges the viewer into the problems of Yanomamo kinship, alliance, and village fission; of violence and conflict resolution. At the same time it raises questions about how anthropologists and filmmakers translate their experience into meaningful words and coherent, moving images.
Show more
Show less
Date Written / Recorded
1971-02-28
Field of Study
Politics & Current Affairs
Content Type
Documentary
Contributor
Timothy Asch, 1932-1994, Napoleon A. Chagnon, 1938-, Craig Johnson
Author / Creator
Napoleon A. Chagnon, 1938-, Timothy Asch, 1932-1994
Date Published / Released
1975
Publisher
Documentary Educational Resources (DER)
Speaker / Narrator
Napoleon A. Chagnon, 1938-
Topic / Theme
Yanomamö, Politics, Negotiation in government, Kin relationships, Violence, Cultural identity, Rural population, Tribal and national groups, Indigenous peoples, Ethnography, Yanomámi
Copyright Message
copyright © Documentary Educational Resources
×
See details
A Celebration of Origins
written by Patsy Asch, Timothy Asch, 1932-1994 and E. Douglas Lewis, 1947-; directed by Timothy Asch, 1932-1994, E. Douglas Lewis, 1947- and Patsy Asch; produced by E. Douglas Lewis, 1947-, Patsy Asch and Timothy Asch, 1932-1994 (Watertown, MA: Documentary Educational Resources (DER), 1992), 45 mins
The people of the Tana 'Ai region of Flores, Indonesia live in seven ceremonial domains, of which Wai Brama is the largest and the oldest. The people of Wai Brama are shifting cultivators, hunters and gatherers who, unlike their neighbors, have maintained their traditional ceremonial and social system. A Celebrati...
Sample
written by Patsy Asch, Timothy Asch, 1932-1994 and E. Douglas Lewis, 1947-; directed by Timothy Asch, 1932-1994, E. Douglas Lewis, 1947- and Patsy Asch; produced by E. Douglas Lewis, 1947-, Patsy Asch and Timothy Asch, 1932-1994 (Watertown, MA: Documentary Educational Resources (DER), 1992), 45 mins
Description
The people of the Tana 'Ai region of Flores, Indonesia live in seven ceremonial domains, of which Wai Brama is the largest and the oldest. The people of Wai Brama are shifting cultivators, hunters and gatherers who, unlike their neighbors, have maintained their traditional ceremonial and social system. A Celebration of Origins, filmed in 1980, depicts the first celebration of these rituals since 1960. The people of the Tana 'Ai region of Flores,...
The people of the Tana 'Ai region of Flores, Indonesia live in seven ceremonial domains, of which Wai Brama is the largest and the oldest. The people of Wai Brama are shifting cultivators, hunters and gatherers who, unlike their neighbors, have maintained their traditional ceremonial and social system. A Celebration of Origins, filmed in 1980, depicts the first celebration of these rituals since 1960. The people of the Tana 'Ai region of Flores, Indonesia live in seven ceremonial domains, of which Wai Brama is the largest and the oldest. The people of Wai Brama are shifting cultivators, hunters and gatherers who, unlike their neighbors, have maintained their traditional ceremonial and social system. A Celebration of Origins, filmed in 1980, depicts the first celebration of these rituals since 1960. The rituals, which require the participation of the entire community, had been delayed by poor harvests and epidemics. The film focuses on a small group of ritual leaders who struggle to hold the celebration in the absence of the Source of the Domain, the ritual leader of the community, who died after initiating the rituals. Evoking the contested nature of ritual, the film demonstrates how ritual performance implicates delicate political relationships based on pragmatic alliances, festering antipathies or developing jealousies. Conflict is the thread that weaves together the disparate themes of the film. It is a finely crafted, sensually striking film with a compelling story that focuses on one of the central themes in contemporary anthropological debate: the contested nature of social - and ritual - life.
Show more
Show less
Date Written / Recorded
1980
Field of Study
Anthropology
Content Type
Documentary
Contributor
Patsy Asch, Timothy Asch, 1932-1994, E. Douglas Lewis, 1947-, Koa Tapa, Pius Ipir Wai Brama, Sina Ipir Wai Brama
Author / Creator
Patsy Asch, Timothy Asch, 1932-1994, E. Douglas Lewis, 1947-
Date Published / Released
1992
Publisher
Documentary Educational Resources (DER)
Topic / Theme
Ata Tana 'Ai, Religion, Cultural identity, Tribal and national groups, Cultural change and history, Religious rites and ceremonies, Ethnography, Tana 'Ai
Copyright Message
by Documentary Educational Resources
×
See details
Dodoth Morning
written by Timothy Asch, 1932-1994; directed by Timothy Asch, 1932-1994; produced by Timothy Asch, 1932-1994 (Watertown, MA: Documentary Educational Resources (DER)), 17 mins
Dodoth Morning was the first film by the pioneering filmmaker, Timothy Asch who is best known for his collaborations with anthropologists such as Napoleon Chagnon, Linda Connor, Patsy Asch, and E. Douglas Lewis. Shot in northeast Uganda in 1961, a year when too much rain threatened to rot the millet the Dodoth peo...
Sample
written by Timothy Asch, 1932-1994; directed by Timothy Asch, 1932-1994; produced by Timothy Asch, 1932-1994 (Watertown, MA: Documentary Educational Resources (DER)), 17 mins
Description
Dodoth Morning was the first film by the pioneering filmmaker, Timothy Asch who is best known for his collaborations with anthropologists such as Napoleon Chagnon, Linda Connor, Patsy Asch, and E. Douglas Lewis. Shot in northeast Uganda in 1961, a year when too much rain threatened to rot the millet the Dodoth people grew to supplement their diet. Primarily a pastoral people, the Dodoth depended on their herds of oxen for food and to determine we...
Dodoth Morning was the first film by the pioneering filmmaker, Timothy Asch who is best known for his collaborations with anthropologists such as Napoleon Chagnon, Linda Connor, Patsy Asch, and E. Douglas Lewis. Shot in northeast Uganda in 1961, a year when too much rain threatened to rot the millet the Dodoth people grew to supplement their diet. Primarily a pastoral people, the Dodoth depended on their herds of oxen for food and to determine wealth. Dodoth Morning was the first film by the pioneering filmmaker, Timothy Asch who is best known for his collaborations with anthropologists such as Napoleon Chagnon, Linda Connor, Patsy Asch, and E. Douglas Lewis. Shot in northeast Uganda in 1961, a year when too much rain threatened to rot the millet the Dodoth people grew to supplement their diet. Primarily a pastoral people, the Dodoth depended on their herds of oxen for food and to determine wealth. With minimal narration the film opens in early morning and follows a headman, his four wives and family through daily tasks. Tension builds and breaks out in a domestic argument between father and son. This video copy was made from the recently discovered and only edited 16mm print known to exist. Tim Asch's work with the Yanomami in Venezuela and with indigenous peoples throughout Indonesia have been used for teaching, shown in festivals and won awards worldwide. DER is pleased to be able to offer this historically significant film to researchers, educators and film historians. Useful for teaching Anthropology, Pastoralism, Film History, Africa, Gender and Kinship.
Show more
Show less
Date Written / Recorded
1961
Field of Study
Anthropology
Content Type
Field recording (edited)
Contributor
Timothy Asch, 1932-1994
Author / Creator
Timothy Asch, 1932-1994
Date Published / Released
1961
Publisher
Documentary Educational Resources (DER)
Topic / Theme
Dodoth, Film industry, Anthropology, Gender roles, Agriculture, Famine, Ethnography
Copyright Message
by Documentary Educational Resources
×
See details
Jero Tapakan, Releasing the Spirits: A Village Cremation in Bali
written by Linda Connor, 1944-, Patsy Asch and Timothy Asch, 1932-1994; directed by Timothy Asch, 1932-1994, Linda Connor, 1944- and Patsy Asch; produced by Linda Connor, 1944-, Patsy Asch and Timothy Asch, 1932-1994, in Jero Tapakan (Watertown, MA: Documentary Educational Resources (DER), 1979), 43 mins
Cremation rites are the most elaborate rites of passage performed by Balinese householders. Poor families may wait years before accumulating enough resources to cremate their dead, who are buried in the meantime. In 1978 many more cremations than usual were carried out because of the great purification cermony, Ek...
Sample
written by Linda Connor, 1944-, Patsy Asch and Timothy Asch, 1932-1994; directed by Timothy Asch, 1932-1994, Linda Connor, 1944- and Patsy Asch; produced by Linda Connor, 1944-, Patsy Asch and Timothy Asch, 1932-1994, in Jero Tapakan (Watertown, MA: Documentary Educational Resources (DER), 1979), 43 mins
Description
Cremation rites are the most elaborate rites of passage performed by Balinese householders. Poor families may wait years before accumulating enough resources to cremate their dead, who are buried in the meantime. In 1978 many more cremations than usual were carried out because of the great purification cermony, Eka Dasa Rudra, held at Bali's main temple, Besakih, in 1979. Religious officials recommended that all Balinese cleanse the island by cre...
Cremation rites are the most elaborate rites of passage performed by Balinese householders. Poor families may wait years before accumulating enough resources to cremate their dead, who are buried in the meantime. In 1978 many more cremations than usual were carried out because of the great purification cermony, Eka Dasa Rudra, held at Bali's main temple, Besakih, in 1979. Religious officials recommended that all Balinese cleanse the island by cremating their dead, as part of the preparations for the great Besakih ceremony. Cremation rites are the most elaborate rites of passage performed by Balinese householders. Poor families may wait years before accumulating enough resources to cremate their dead, who are buried in the meantime. In 1978 many more cremations than usual were carried out because of the great purification cermony, Eka Dasa Rudra, held at Bali's main temple, Besakih, in 1979. Religious officials recommended that all Balinese cleanse the island by cremating their dead, as part of the preparations for the great Besakih ceremony. Villagers of limited means pooled their resources to perform group cremations which greatly reduced the cost for each family. This film is about a group of villagers in Central Bali who cooperated to carry out a group cremation. The film shows the way they approached this task, as well as the cycle of rituals: the cremation, post-cremation, and casting of ashes into the ocean. It had been 15 years since they last held this ceremony. Most of the narration is provided by four participants, recorded as they were watching videotapes of the ceremonies two years later. Each brings a different perspective to the events documented on the film. The three voices of the filmmakers also provide different insights. This film is linked to the previous films on Bali because it, too, deals with ritual and possession. Furthermore, the cremation is held in Jero Tapakan's hamlet and she is a central participant.
Show more
Show less
Field of Study
Anthropology
Content Type
Documentary
Contributor
Linda Connor, 1944-, Patsy Asch, Timothy Asch, 1932-1994, Jero Tapakan
Author / Creator
Linda Connor, 1944-, Patsy Asch, Timothy Asch, 1932-1994
Date Published / Released
1979
Publisher
Documentary Educational Resources (DER)
Series
Jero Tapakan
Topic / Theme
Balinese, Poverty, Rural population, Cultural identity, Ethnosociology, Shamanism, Burial customs, Religious rites and ceremonies, Ethnography
Copyright Message
© Documentary Educational Resources
×
See details
Jero Tapakan, A Balinese Trance Seance & Jero on Jero: A Balinese Trance Seance Observed
written by Timothy Asch, 1932-1994, Linda Connor, 1944- and Patsy Asch; directed by Timothy Asch, 1932-1994, Linda Connor, 1944- and Patsy Asch; produced by Timothy Asch, 1932-1994, Linda Connor, 1944- and Patsy Asch, in Jero Tapakan (Watertown, MA: Documentary Educational Resources (DER)), 48 mins
In 1980, anthropologist Linda Connor and filmmakers Tim and Patsy Asch returned to Bali with video cassette recordings of A Balinese Trance Seance. Jero Tapakan, the spirit medium, was invited to view the footage.
Sample
written by Timothy Asch, 1932-1994, Linda Connor, 1944- and Patsy Asch; directed by Timothy Asch, 1932-1994, Linda Connor, 1944- and Patsy Asch; produced by Timothy Asch, 1932-1994, Linda Connor, 1944- and Patsy Asch, in Jero Tapakan (Watertown, MA: Documentary Educational Resources (DER)), 48 mins
Description
In 1980, anthropologist Linda Connor and filmmakers Tim and Patsy Asch returned to Bali with video cassette recordings of A Balinese Trance Seance. Jero Tapakan, the spirit medium, was invited to view the footage. In 1980, anthropologist Linda Connor and filmmakers Tim and Patsy Asch returned to Bali with video cassette recordings of A Balinese Trance Seance. Jero Tapakan, the spirit medium, was invited to view the footage. The resulting film, Je...
In 1980, anthropologist Linda Connor and filmmakers Tim and Patsy Asch returned to Bali with video cassette recordings of A Balinese Trance Seance. Jero Tapakan, the spirit medium, was invited to view the footage. In 1980, anthropologist Linda Connor and filmmakers Tim and Patsy Asch returned to Bali with video cassette recordings of A Balinese Trance Seance. Jero Tapakan, the spirit medium, was invited to view the footage. The resulting film, Jero On Jero: A Balinese Trance Seance Observed, presents some of her reactions to Connor as she watched and listened to herself for the first time. Jero had a unique opportunity to spontaneously and consciously react to and reflect upon the experience of possession. Her comments provide insight into how she feels while possessed, her understanding of sorcery, and her humility in the presence of the supernatural world. More mundane thoughts are revealed as well, for example the importance of the fine appearance of her house. Jero On Jero could most fruitfully be used as a companion to A Balinese Trance Seance, which would be shown first and followed by a discussion, before screening Jero Tapakan's own response.
Show more
Show less
Date Written / Recorded
1980
Field of Study
Anthropology
Content Type
Documentary
Contributor
Patsy Asch, Linda Connor, 1944-, Timothy Asch, 1932-1994, Jero Tapakan
Author / Creator
Timothy Asch, 1932-1994, Linda Connor, 1944-, Patsy Asch
Date Published / Released
1981
Publisher
Documentary Educational Resources (DER)
Series
Jero Tapakan
Person Discussed
Jero Tapakan
Topic / Theme
Balinese, Mediums, Religious rites and ceremonies, Spiritual possession, Ethnography
Copyright Message
© Documentary Educational Resources
×
See details
Jero Tapakan, Jero Tapakan - Stories from the Life of a Balinese Healer
written by Linda Connor, 1944-, Patsy Asch and Timothy Asch, 1932-1994; directed by Timothy Asch, 1932-1994, Linda Connor, 1944- and Patsy Asch, in Jero Tapakan (Watertown, MA: Documentary Educational Resources (DER), 1983), 25 mins
Unlike many spirit mediums, Jero Tapakan practices as a masseuse once every three days, when possession is not auspicious. This film focuses on Jero's treatment of Ida Bagus, a member of the nobility from a neighboring town.
Sample
written by Linda Connor, 1944-, Patsy Asch and Timothy Asch, 1932-1994; directed by Timothy Asch, 1932-1994, Linda Connor, 1944- and Patsy Asch, in Jero Tapakan (Watertown, MA: Documentary Educational Resources (DER), 1983), 25 mins
Description
Unlike many spirit mediums, Jero Tapakan practices as a masseuse once every three days, when possession is not auspicious. This film focuses on Jero's treatment of Ida Bagus, a member of the nobility from a neighboring town. The Medium is the Masseuse: A Balinese Massage w/Jero Tapakan Unlike many spirit mediums, Jero Tapakan practices as a masseuse once every three days, when possession is not auspicious. This film focuses on Jero's treatment of...
Unlike many spirit mediums, Jero Tapakan practices as a masseuse once every three days, when possession is not auspicious. This film focuses on Jero's treatment of Ida Bagus, a member of the nobility from a neighboring town. The Medium is the Masseuse: A Balinese Massage w/Jero Tapakan Unlike many spirit mediums, Jero Tapakan practices as a masseuse once every three days, when possession is not auspicious. This film focuses on Jero's treatment of Ida Bagus, a member of the nobility from a neighboring town. Jero has been treating her client for sterility and seizures. She begins work this day with religious preparations and the assembling of traditional medicines. Treatment includes a thorough massage, administration of eyedrops, an infusion, and a special paste for the chest. The dialogue, which is subtitled, includes a detailed discussion between anthropologist Linda Conor, Ida Bagus, and Jero, about the nature and treatment of the illness, as well as informal banter between Jero, her other patients, and people in her houseyard. In an interview, Ida Bagus and his wife speak about the ten-year history of his illness and a variety of diagnoses. Jero Tapakan: Stories from the Life of a Balinese Healer Jero, who know sustains a lively practice as both medium and masseuse, recalls her earlier poverty and despair as a farmer, and how she fled her home and wandered briefly in the countryside as a peddler. After serious illness and mystical visions, she returned to her husband and underwent a consecration ceremony as a spirit medium. Here she talks with Linda Connor about these experiences.
Show more
Show less
Date Written / Recorded
1978
Field of Study
Anthropology
Content Type
Documentary
Contributor
Linda Connor, 1944-, Patsy Asch, Timothy Asch, 1932-1994, Jero Tapakan
Author / Creator
Linda Connor, 1944-, Patsy Asch, Timothy Asch, 1932-1994
Date Published / Released
1983
Publisher
Documentary Educational Resources (DER)
Series
Jero Tapakan
Person Discussed
Jero Tapakan
Topic / Theme
Balinese, Mediums, Spirituality, Religion, Alternative medicine, Spiritual possession, Ethnography
Copyright Message
© Documentary Educational Resources
×
See details
Jero Tapakan, The Medium is the Masseuse: A Balinese Massage w/Jero Tapakan and Jero Tapakan - Stories from the Life of a Balinese Healer
written by Linda Connor, 1944-, Patsy Asch and Timothy Asch, 1932-1994; directed by Timothy Asch, 1932-1994, Linda Connor, 1944- and Patsy Asch, in Jero Tapakan (Watertown, MA: Documentary Educational Resources (DER), 1983), 30 mins
Unlike many spirit mediums, Jero Tapakan practices as a masseuse once every three days, when possession is not auspicious. This film focuses on Jero's treatment of Ida Bagus, a member of the nobility from a neighboring town.
Sample
written by Linda Connor, 1944-, Patsy Asch and Timothy Asch, 1932-1994; directed by Timothy Asch, 1932-1994, Linda Connor, 1944- and Patsy Asch, in Jero Tapakan (Watertown, MA: Documentary Educational Resources (DER), 1983), 30 mins
Description
Unlike many spirit mediums, Jero Tapakan practices as a masseuse once every three days, when possession is not auspicious. This film focuses on Jero's treatment of Ida Bagus, a member of the nobility from a neighboring town. The Medium is the Masseuse: A Balinese Massage w/Jero Tapakan Unlike many spirit mediums, Jero Tapakan practices as a masseuse once every three days, when possession is not auspicious. This film focuses on Jero's treatment of...
Unlike many spirit mediums, Jero Tapakan practices as a masseuse once every three days, when possession is not auspicious. This film focuses on Jero's treatment of Ida Bagus, a member of the nobility from a neighboring town. The Medium is the Masseuse: A Balinese Massage w/Jero Tapakan Unlike many spirit mediums, Jero Tapakan practices as a masseuse once every three days, when possession is not auspicious. This film focuses on Jero's treatment of Ida Bagus, a member of the nobility from a neighboring town. Jero has been treating her client for sterility and seizures. She begins work this day with religious preparations and the assembling of traditional medicines. Treatment includes a thorough massage, administration of eyedrops, an infusion, and a special paste for the chest. The dialogue, which is subtitled, includes a detailed discussion between anthropologist Linda Conor, Ida Bagus, and Jero, about the nature and treatment of the illness, as well as informal banter between Jero, her other patients, and people in her houseyard. In an interview, Ida Bagus and his wife speak about the ten-year history of his illness and a variety of diagnoses. Jero Tapakan: Stories from the Life of a Balinese Healer Jero, who know sustains a lively practice as both medium and masseuse, recalls her earlier poverty and despair as a farmer, and how she fled her home and wandered briefly in the countryside as a peddler. After serious illness and mystical visions, she returned to her husband and underwent a consecration ceremony as a spirit medium. Here she talks with Linda Connor about these experiences.
Show more
Show less
Field of Study
Anthropology
Content Type
Documentary
Contributor
Linda Connor, 1944-, Patsy Asch, Timothy Asch, 1932-1994, Jero Tapakan
Author / Creator
Linda Connor, 1944-, Patsy Asch, Timothy Asch, 1932-1994
Date Published / Released
1983
Publisher
Documentary Educational Resources (DER)
Series
Jero Tapakan
Person Discussed
Jero Tapakan
Topic / Theme
Balinese, Spirituality, Religion, Alternative medicine, Mediums, Spiritual healing, Ethnography
Copyright Message
© Documentary Educational Resources
×
See details
Sons of Haji Omar
written by Timothy Asch, 1932-1994, Patsy Asch and Asen Balikci, 1929-; directed by Timothy Asch, 1932-1994, Patsy Asch and Asen Balikci, 1929-; produced by Smithsonian Institution and National Film Board of Canada (Watertown, MA: Documentary Educational Resources (DER), 1978), 58 mins
Haji Omar and his three sons belong to the Lakankhel, a Pashtoon tribal group in northeastern Afghanistan. The film focuses on his family: Haji Omar, the patriarch; Anwar, the eldest, his father's favorite, a pastoralist and expert horseman; Jannat Gul, cultivator and ambitious rebel; and Ismail, the youngest, att...
Sample
written by Timothy Asch, 1932-1994, Patsy Asch and Asen Balikci, 1929-; directed by Timothy Asch, 1932-1994, Patsy Asch and Asen Balikci, 1929-; produced by Smithsonian Institution and National Film Board of Canada (Watertown, MA: Documentary Educational Resources (DER), 1978), 58 mins
Description
Haji Omar and his three sons belong to the Lakankhel, a Pashtoon tribal group in northeastern Afghanistan. The film focuses on his family: Haji Omar, the patriarch; Anwar, the eldest, his father's favorite, a pastoralist and expert horseman; Jannat Gul, cultivator and ambitious rebel; and Ismail, the youngest, attending school with a view to a job as a government official. Haji Omar and his three sons belong to the Lakankhel, a Pashtoon tribal gr...
Haji Omar and his three sons belong to the Lakankhel, a Pashtoon tribal group in northeastern Afghanistan. The film focuses on his family: Haji Omar, the patriarch; Anwar, the eldest, his father's favorite, a pastoralist and expert horseman; Jannat Gul, cultivator and ambitious rebel; and Ismail, the youngest, attending school with a view to a job as a government official. Haji Omar and his three sons belong to the Lakankhel, a Pashtoon tribal group in northeastern Afghanistan. The film focuses on his family: Haji Omar, the patriarch; Anwar, the eldest, his father's favorite, a pastoralist and expert horseman; Jannat Gul, cultivator and ambitious rebel; and Ismail, the youngest, attending school with a view to a job as a government official. Filmed over a period of twelve months, it is a record of life at the spring lambing camp, the activities at Narim Bazaar, where the caravan stocks up for the long trek, and the slow ascent to the summer grazing grounds. The spring camp is not far from the provincial center, Baghlan. In May and June they move to mountain pastures in the Hindu Kush. Haji Omar's family home is near the small market town of Narin, sequences show life in the bazaar, classes in the high school and dealings with government officials. The film ends with the fierce Buskashi games, when the nomads are back in their winter home. In concentrating on relations within one family, and through appropriate use of interviews and conversations, the film manages to draw sharp, colorful portraits of the protagonists and their problems. The film is an authentic, evocative and beautiful account of a little known region and way of life.
Show more
Show less
Field of Study
Anthropology
Content Type
Documentary
Contributor
Timothy Asch, 1932-1994, Patsy Asch, Asen Balikci, 1929-, Jannat Gul, fl. 1978, Ismail, fl. 1978, Haji Omar, fl. 1978, Anwar, fl. 1978, Smithsonian Institution, National Film Board of Canada, Gordon Courtnay
Author / Creator
Timothy Asch, 1932-1994, Patsy Asch, Asen Balikci, 1929-
Date Published / Released
1978
Publisher
Documentary Educational Resources (DER)
Speaker / Narrator
Gordon Courtnay
Person Discussed
Haji Omar, fl. 1978
Topic / Theme
Pashtun, Games, Cultural identity, Cultural change and history, Family, Tribal and national groups, Herders, Indigenous ethnic groups, Ethnography, Pashto
Copyright Message
© Documentary Educational Resources
×
See details
Spear and Sword: a Ceremonial Payment of Bridewealth
written by Dr. James J. Fox, Patsy Asch and Timothy Asch, 1932-1994; directed by Timothy Asch, 1932-1994, Patsy Asch and Dr. James J. Fox (Watertown, MA: Documentary Educational Resources (DER), 1989), 23 mins
This traditionally ethnographic sequence film focuses on the negotiations betwen representatives of two families during a payment of bridewealth. In the past the husband's group would carry a spear and a sword to hang in the wife's house. Now, a payment is made as a substitute for the spear and sword.
Sample
written by Dr. James J. Fox, Patsy Asch and Timothy Asch, 1932-1994; directed by Timothy Asch, 1932-1994, Patsy Asch and Dr. James J. Fox (Watertown, MA: Documentary Educational Resources (DER), 1989), 23 mins
Description
This traditionally ethnographic sequence film focuses on the negotiations betwen representatives of two families during a payment of bridewealth. In the past the husband's group would carry a spear and a sword to hang in the wife's house. Now, a payment is made as a substitute for the spear and sword. This traditionally ethnographic sequence film focuses on the negotiations betwen representatives of two families during a payment of bridewealth. T...
This traditionally ethnographic sequence film focuses on the negotiations betwen representatives of two families during a payment of bridewealth. In the past the husband's group would carry a spear and a sword to hang in the wife's house. Now, a payment is made as a substitute for the spear and sword. This traditionally ethnographic sequence film focuses on the negotiations betwen representatives of two families during a payment of bridewealth. The payment of bridewealth is a long and complex ceremony in which representatives from the husband and wife's family engage in a heated negotiation process. The bride and groom are completely excluded from the negotiations and never appear in the film. The film begins with an excerpt from a traditional chant about the origin of bridewealth. We then see the bride's representative’s collecting the required money and animals while discussing problems that might arise in negotiations. In ritual silence, the men and women chosen to represent the groom walk three kilometers to the bride's family home. The bulk of the film centers around the transfer of money and animals. At times the conversation seems to follow prescribed forms and at times seems to be a free arena for participants to express humor and to manipulate one another. Politics, ritual and personality intermingle. The men conduct the negotiations while the women observe ritual silence or speak in whispers. Food is served to mark the end of the negotiations and palm gin is served. The tensions of the day subside and film ends when a renowned ritual chanter is asked to recount the history of the first payment of bridewealth. The material of this film is perfect for courses covering marriage traditions and rituals as well as the role of men and women in rural Eastern Indonesia.
Show more
Show less
Date Written / Recorded
1977
Field of Study
Anthropology
Content Type
Field recording (edited)
Contributor
Dr. James J. Fox, Patsy Asch, Timothy Asch, 1932-1994, Petrus Malesi, Mias Kiuk
Author / Creator
Dr. James J. Fox, Patsy Asch, Timothy Asch, 1932-1994
Date Published / Released
1989
Publisher
Documentary Educational Resources (DER)
Topic / Theme
Rotinese, Religious rites and ceremonies, Negotiation in government, Rural population, Tribal and national groups, Myths and legends, Endogamy, Ethnography
Copyright Message
© Documentary Educational Resources
×
See details
The Water of Words: A Cultural Ecology of an Eastern Indonesian Island
written by Dr. James J. Fox, Patsy Asch and Timothy Asch, 1932-1994; directed by Timothy Asch, 1932-1994, Patsy Asch and Dr. James J. Fox; produced by Documentary Educational Resources (DER) and Australian National University (Watertown, MA: Documentary Educational Resources (DER), 1983), 30 mins
This film explores the poetry and ecology of the lontar (borassus) palm on the eastern Indonesian island of Roti. Anthropologist James J. Fox collaborated with the filmmakers to produce an account of the utilization of lontar, a tree that provides the mainstay of the Rotinese diet.
Sample
written by Dr. James J. Fox, Patsy Asch and Timothy Asch, 1932-1994; directed by Timothy Asch, 1932-1994, Patsy Asch and Dr. James J. Fox; produced by Documentary Educational Resources (DER) and Australian National University (Watertown, MA: Documentary Educational Resources (DER), 1983), 30 mins
Description
This film explores the poetry and ecology of the lontar (borassus) palm on the eastern Indonesian island of Roti. Anthropologist James J. Fox collaborated with the filmmakers to produce an account of the utilization of lontar, a tree that provides the mainstay of the Rotinese diet. This film explores the poetry and ecology of the lontar (borassus) palm on the eastern Indonesian island of Roti. Anthropologist James J. Fox collaborated with the fil...
This film explores the poetry and ecology of the lontar (borassus) palm on the eastern Indonesian island of Roti. Anthropologist James J. Fox collaborated with the filmmakers to produce an account of the utilization of lontar, a tree that provides the mainstay of the Rotinese diet. This film explores the poetry and ecology of the lontar (borassus) palm on the eastern Indonesian island of Roti. Anthropologist James J. Fox collaborated with the filmmakers to produce an account of the utilization of lontar, a tree that provides the mainstay of the Rotinese diet. Techniques of tapping and cooking the palm juice and its transformation into syrup, beer, and gin ("the water of words") are shown. The film integrates striking visual imagery with the clan leader's description, the paired poetic speech of ritual specialists, and myths that recount the origin of the lontar from the sea.
Show more
Show less
Field of Study
Anthropology
Content Type
Documentary
Contributor
Dr. James J. Fox, Patsy Asch, Timothy Asch, 1932-1994, Petrus Malesi, Mias Kiuk, Documentary Educational Resources (DER), Australian National University
Author / Creator
Dr. James J. Fox, Patsy Asch, Timothy Asch, 1932-1994
Date Published / Released
1983
Publisher
Documentary Educational Resources (DER)
Topic / Theme
Rotinese, Ethnobotany, Myths and legends, Rural population, Cultural change and history, Agriculture, Spirits (Alcohol), Islands, Trees, Ethnography
Copyright Message
© Documentary Educational Resources
×
