Browse Titles - 20 results
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Between Two Worlds: A Japanese Pilgrimage
directed by Joanne Hershfield, 1950- and Susan Caperna Lloyd, fl. 1992; produced by Susan Caperna Lloyd, fl. 1992 and Joanne Hershfield, 1950- (Berkeley, CA: Berkeley Media, 1994), 30 mins,
Source: www.berkeleymedia.com
Source: www.berkeleymedia.com
For centuries, pilgrims have come to the Japanese island of Shikoku to trace the 1,000-mile route known as the 'Pilgrimage to the 88 Sacred Places of Shikoku', a journey believed to have been first undertaken by Kobo Daishi, founder of Buddhism's Shingon sect in the ninth century. This illuminating documentary is...
Sample
directed by Joanne Hershfield, 1950- and Susan Caperna Lloyd, fl. 1992; produced by Susan Caperna Lloyd, fl. 1992 and Joanne Hershfield, 1950- (Berkeley, CA: Berkeley Media, 1994), 30 mins,
Source: www.berkeleymedia.com
Source: www.berkeleymedia.com
Description
For centuries, pilgrims have come to the Japanese island of Shikoku to trace the 1,000-mile route known as the 'Pilgrimage to the 88 Sacred Places of Shikoku', a journey believed to have been first undertaken by Kobo Daishi, founder of Buddhism's Shingon sect in the ninth century. This illuminating documentary is a visual meditation on the phenomenon of pilgrimage and, to a lesser extent, on the processes of ethnographic filmmaking. It combines i...
For centuries, pilgrims have come to the Japanese island of Shikoku to trace the 1,000-mile route known as the 'Pilgrimage to the 88 Sacred Places of Shikoku', a journey believed to have been first undertaken by Kobo Daishi, founder of Buddhism's Shingon sect in the ninth century. This illuminating documentary is a visual meditation on the phenomenon of pilgrimage and, to a lesser extent, on the processes of ethnographic filmmaking. It combines images of traditional and modern Japan, excerpts from the writings of Kobo Daishi, and commentary by pilgrims, everyday Japanese, and the filmmakers themselves to explore the meaning and persistence of 'pilgrimage' in contemporary industrial Japan. By examining the effects that rapid change has had on this ritual journey, the film asks: Why do people still undertake pilgrimages to 'sacred' places? This thought-provoking documentary will generate discussion in courses in Asian studies, Japanese studies, cultural anthropology, Buddhism, and comparative religion. It was produced by Joanne Hershfield and Susan Caperna Lloyd.
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Field of Study
Asian Studies
Content Type
Documentary
Contributor
Susan Caperna Lloyd, fl. 1992, Joanne Hershfield, 1950-
Author / Creator
Joanne Hershfield, 1950-, Susan Caperna Lloyd, fl. 1992
Date Published / Released
1992, 1994
Publisher
Berkeley Media
Topic / Theme
Buddhism, Pilgrimage, Religious beliefs, Japanese
Copyright Message
Copyright © 1994 Berkeley Media
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China Insight: Stories of Tibet, 2, Part 2
produced by Kweichow Moutai and IFENG.COM, in China Insight: Stories of Tibet, 2 (Tai Po, Hong Kong (State): Phoenix Satellite Television Company, 2023), 28 mins
Tibet Autonomous Region is located on the southwestern border of the People's Republic of China, in the southwestern part of the Tibetan Plateau. It is famous for its majestic and magnificent natural scenery. It is a vast land with spectacular landscapes, rich resources, and many famous scenic spots and monuments....
Sample
produced by Kweichow Moutai and IFENG.COM, in China Insight: Stories of Tibet, 2 (Tai Po, Hong Kong (State): Phoenix Satellite Television Company, 2023), 28 mins
Description
Tibet Autonomous Region is located on the southwestern border of the People's Republic of China, in the southwestern part of the Tibetan Plateau. It is famous for its majestic and magnificent natural scenery. It is a vast land with spectacular landscapes, rich resources, and many famous scenic spots and monuments. Since ancient times, the people on this land have created a rich and splendid national culture. Ranging from Buddhist culture to vario...
Tibet Autonomous Region is located on the southwestern border of the People's Republic of China, in the southwestern part of the Tibetan Plateau. It is famous for its majestic and magnificent natural scenery. It is a vast land with spectacular landscapes, rich resources, and many famous scenic spots and monuments. Since ancient times, the people on this land have created a rich and splendid national culture. Ranging from Buddhist culture to various intangible cultural heritages to boarding schools, the series takes viewers into the magical land of Tibet from a variety of perspectives.
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Field of Study
Asian Studies
Content Type
Documentary
Contributor
Kweichow Moutai, IFENG.COM
Date Published / Released
2023
Publisher
Phoenix Satellite Television Company
Series
China Insight: Stories of Tibet
Topic / Theme
Intellectual life, Monasteries, Monks, Religious practices, Religious education, Buddhism, Traditional history, Tibetan
Copyright Message
Copyright © 2023 Phoenix Satellite Television Company Limited
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China Insight: Stories of Tibet, 3, Part 3
produced by Kweichow Moutai and IFENG.COM, in China Insight: Stories of Tibet, 3 (Tai Po, Hong Kong (State): Phoenix Satellite Television Company, 2023), 27 mins
Tibet Autonomous Region is located on the southwestern border of the People's Republic of China, in the southwestern part of the Tibetan Plateau. It is famous for its majestic and magnificent natural scenery. And it is a vast land with spectacular landscapes, rich resources, and many famous scenic spots and monume...
Sample
produced by Kweichow Moutai and IFENG.COM, in China Insight: Stories of Tibet, 3 (Tai Po, Hong Kong (State): Phoenix Satellite Television Company, 2023), 27 mins
Description
Tibet Autonomous Region is located on the southwestern border of the People's Republic of China, in the southwestern part of the Tibetan Plateau. It is famous for its majestic and magnificent natural scenery. And it is a vast land with spectacular landscapes, rich resources, and many famous scenic spots and monuments. Since ancient times, the people on this land have created a rich and splendid national culture. Ranging from Buddhist culture to v...
Tibet Autonomous Region is located on the southwestern border of the People's Republic of China, in the southwestern part of the Tibetan Plateau. It is famous for its majestic and magnificent natural scenery. And it is a vast land with spectacular landscapes, rich resources, and many famous scenic spots and monuments. Since ancient times, the people on this land have created a rich and splendid national culture. Ranging from Buddhist culture to various intangible cultural heritages to boarding schools, the series takes viewers into the magical land of Tibet from a variety of perspectives.
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Field of Study
Anthropology
Content Type
Documentary
Contributor
Kweichow Moutai, IFENG.COM
Date Published / Released
2023
Publisher
Phoenix Satellite Television Company
Series
China Insight: Stories of Tibet
Topic / Theme
Popular culture, Monks, Intellectual development, Monasticism, Philosophy, Religious practices, Buddhism, Religious education, Tibetan
Copyright Message
Copyright © 2023 Phoenix Satellite Television Company Limited
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Destination: Tourism
directed by Dafna Kory, fl. 2007; produced by Dafna Kory, fl. 2007 (Berkeley, CA: Berkeley Media, 2007), 20 mins,
Source: www.berkeleymedia.com
Source: www.berkeleymedia.com
Bodh Gaya, the world's most popular destination of Buddhist pilgrimage, is located in one of India's poorest states. Visitors to this UNESCO World Heritage site are typically shocked by the extreme poverty there, and the Buddhist tradition of alms-giving motivates them to donate money. As a result, Bodh Gaya has d...
Sample
directed by Dafna Kory, fl. 2007; produced by Dafna Kory, fl. 2007 (Berkeley, CA: Berkeley Media, 2007), 20 mins,
Source: www.berkeleymedia.com
Source: www.berkeleymedia.com
Description
Bodh Gaya, the world's most popular destination of Buddhist pilgrimage, is located in one of India's poorest states. Visitors to this UNESCO World Heritage site are typically shocked by the extreme poverty there, and the Buddhist tradition of alms-giving motivates them to donate money. As a result, Bodh Gaya has developed a sophisticated charity 'industry' which caters to and depends on tourists and tourism. This thought-provoking documentary exp...
Bodh Gaya, the world's most popular destination of Buddhist pilgrimage, is located in one of India's poorest states. Visitors to this UNESCO World Heritage site are typically shocked by the extreme poverty there, and the Buddhist tradition of alms-giving motivates them to donate money. As a result, Bodh Gaya has developed a sophisticated charity 'industry' which caters to and depends on tourists and tourism. This thought-provoking documentary explores the complex, interconnected effects of tourism, globalization, culture, philanthropy, and religion in Bodh Gaya. Destination: Tourism provides a deeply perceptive and incisive ethnographic case study as well as a poignant illustration of the overwhelming challenges facing many of the world's poor as they struggle to eke out a living in a seasonal economy almost completely dependent on foreign tourists. As the film illuminates, the tourism economy's volatile nature provides only seasonal and temporary work for local residents: time in Bodh Gaya is measured by the coming and going of strangers. For four winter months there are tourists, and therefore work. The rest of the year is marked by desperate unemployment. In addition, dozens of foreign-owned and foreign-operated monasteries function like all-inclusive resorts, monopolizing tourism services. The monasteries also inflate real-estate values: when farmlands become monasteries, farmers must find a new livelihood. Survival has become a challenge for Bodh Gaya's residents. In the search for sustainable employment, entrepreneurial locals have established hundreds of charity schools for destitute children. These village schools are entirely funded by tourist donations and have become a not-to-be-missed point on the Bodh Gaya tourist itinerary. The mud-hut schools and their slate-and-chalk students have become a 'Kodak moment' for the visiting Buddhist pilgrims, and a means of livelihood for local residents. Destination: Tourism will generate thought and discussion in any course dealing with international development and globalization, as well as a variety of courses in cultural anthropology, Asian and Indian studies, tourist studies, and religious studies. It was produced by Dafna Kory. The DVD version of the film is fully authored by the filmmaker and includes menus and chapter headings.
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Field of Study
Asian Studies
Content Type
Documentary
Contributor
Dafna Kory, fl. 2007
Author / Creator
Dafna Kory, fl. 2007
Date Published / Released
2007
Publisher
Berkeley Media
Topic / Theme
Tourism industry, Poverty, Charity, Buddhism, Pilgrimage, Hindi
Copyright Message
Copyright © 2007 Berkeley Media
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Ganges: River to Heaven
directed by Gayle Ferraro, fl. 2000; produced by Gayle Ferraro, fl. 2000, Aerial Productions (Berkeley, CA: Berkeley Media, 2005), 52 mins,
Source: www.berkeleymedia.com
Source: www.berkeleymedia.com
This extraordinary documentary explores with unparalleled intimacy one of the most cherished of Hindu religious aspirations: to die in the city of Varanasi, on the banks of the sacred Ganges, in the faith that dying here assures liberation from the cycle of earthly life. In Varanasi (also called Kashi), the power...
Sample
directed by Gayle Ferraro, fl. 2000; produced by Gayle Ferraro, fl. 2000, Aerial Productions (Berkeley, CA: Berkeley Media, 2005), 52 mins,
Source: www.berkeleymedia.com
Source: www.berkeleymedia.com
Description
This extraordinary documentary explores with unparalleled intimacy one of the most cherished of Hindu religious aspirations: to die in the city of Varanasi, on the banks of the sacred Ganges, in the faith that dying here assures liberation from the cycle of earthly life. In Varanasi (also called Kashi), the power of Ganga, the Hindu mother-goddess of the Ganges River, is strongest. Each dawn she calls her children to the ghats, the steps leading...
This extraordinary documentary explores with unparalleled intimacy one of the most cherished of Hindu religious aspirations: to die in the city of Varanasi, on the banks of the sacred Ganges, in the faith that dying here assures liberation from the cycle of earthly life. In Varanasi (also called Kashi), the power of Ganga, the Hindu mother-goddess of the Ganges River, is strongest. Each dawn she calls her children to the ghats, the steps leading down to the water's edge. The young and strong purify themselves in the river's polluted waters. The old and the infirm, too weak for rituals, wait for death. In time, Ganga carries their souls, released from the bondage of reincarnation, to heaven. Their bodies, as ash afloat her crests or flesh submerged in her depths, return to the river. Shot in a hospice for the dying and on the ghats of Varanasi, the film follows four families' struggles to grant a loved one's final wish: to go to heaven. In their common quest the families become a fraction of the hordes of Hindus drawn to the city's holy promise of freedom from reincarnation. As the clans prepare for death, the citizens of Varanasi manage life -- praying for health, dumping industrial waste, begging for pocket change, bathing their children, selling to tourists, monitoring fecal chloroform levels, cremating their mothers -- along the banks of the Ganges. The four families' preparations go virtually unnoticed along the river, where death is a daily part of life. 'Ganges: River to Heaven' investigates the inextricable bond between the sacred river and its people with remarkable sensitivity and depth. From the ghat workers gathering wood for the next cremation, to the chemists gathering water samples for contamination-testing, each perspective sheds new light on India's evolving society and its unchanging veneration of the Ganges. The film also examines many viewpoints on the death process: the families who bring their beloved dying to Kashi Labh Mukti Bhavan, a hospice for the dying; the proprietors of the hospice and their understanding of the service they provide; and the workers and proprietors of the cremation grounds where the bodies are brought for final rites. Keenly observed and filled with unforgettable imagery of ceremonies, rituals, and daily life and death, 'Ganges: River to Heaven' sheds a profoundly revealing light on the sacred river, polluted from years of overuse, and wonders if the natural force strong enough to sculpt the peaks of the Himalayas and the beliefs of a nation will survive the adoration of generations to come. This illuminating film will engage and challenge students and generate thought and discussion in a wide variety of courses in Asian and Indian studies, cultural anthropology, religion, death and dying, and environmental studies. It was produced by award-winning filmmaker Gayle Ferraro (see also 'Anonymously Yours' and 'Sixteen Decisions').
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Field of Study
Asian Studies
Content Type
Documentary
Contributor
Gayle Ferraro, fl. 2000, Aerial Productions
Author / Creator
Gayle Ferraro, fl. 2000
Date Published / Released
2005
Publisher
Berkeley Media
Topic / Theme
Hinduism, Religious beliefs, Death, Hospices, Hindustani
Copyright Message
Copyright © 2005 Berkeley Media
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In Search of History, Arabian Nights
produced by Lionel Friedberg, fl. 1968, Filmroos Inc., in In Search of History (New York, NY: A&E Television Networks, 1997), 44 mins
In Search of History journeys 2,000 years from ancient times to the present, taking a closer look at the events, places, and hidden mysteries that have puzzled and inspired historians and experts across the ages. Episode: Arabian Nights: Aladdin and his magic lamp...Sinbad the sailor...Ali Baba and the 40 thieves....
Sample
produced by Lionel Friedberg, fl. 1968, Filmroos Inc., in In Search of History (New York, NY: A&E Television Networks, 1997), 44 mins
Description
In Search of History journeys 2,000 years from ancient times to the present, taking a closer look at the events, places, and hidden mysteries that have puzzled and inspired historians and experts across the ages. Episode: Arabian Nights: Aladdin and his magic lamp...Sinbad the sailor...Ali Baba and the 40 thieves. Do these legends lie in long-buried truths in the deserts of Arabia?
Field of Study
Asian Studies
Content Type
Documentary
Contributor
Lionel Friedberg, fl. 1968, Filmroos Inc., David Ackroyd, 1940-
Date Published / Released
1997
Publisher
A&E Television Networks
Series
In Search of History
Speaker / Narrator
Dwight Reynolds, fl. 1991, Carole R. Fontaine, 1950-, David Ackroyd, 1940-
Person Discussed
Dwight Reynolds, fl. 1991, Carole R. Fontaine, 1950-, Richard Francis Burton, 1821-1890, Antoine Galland, 1646-1715
Topic / Theme
Fairy tales, Empire, Religious beliefs, Islam, Arab people, Storytelling, Persian, Arabs
Copyright Message
Copyright © 1997 A+E Networks. All Rights Reserved
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Kawitan: Creating Childhood in Bali
directed by Eli Hollander, fl. 1982; produced by Linda Burman-Hall and Eli Hollander, fl. 1982 (Berkeley, CA: Berkeley Media, 2002), 56 mins
This informative and compelling documentary systematically examines the key Balinese early-life ceremonies at every social level in South Bali. Through ceremonies, Balinese culture and performance are linked, with specific musical expression as a common characteristic. The focus of the film is both ethnographic an...
Sample
directed by Eli Hollander, fl. 1982; produced by Linda Burman-Hall and Eli Hollander, fl. 1982 (Berkeley, CA: Berkeley Media, 2002), 56 mins
Description
This informative and compelling documentary systematically examines the key Balinese early-life ceremonies at every social level in South Bali. Through ceremonies, Balinese culture and performance are linked, with specific musical expression as a common characteristic. The focus of the film is both ethnographic and ethnomusicological as it explores the relationship between Balinese music, movement, ritual, and identity.To illustrate the centralit...
This informative and compelling documentary systematically examines the key Balinese early-life ceremonies at every social level in South Bali. Through ceremonies, Balinese culture and performance are linked, with specific musical expression as a common characteristic. The focus of the film is both ethnographic and ethnomusicological as it explores the relationship between Balinese music, movement, ritual, and identity.To illustrate the centrality of performance to Balinese belief and ritual, the film opens with a compact prologue in "wayang" (shadow-play) and sacred song, recounting the creation of the universe, the five elements, and the first humans. In the first early-life ceremony, a pregnant woman bathes where sacred springs meet. This provides for a safe delivery, and associated ceremonies transform sexual energies into parental devotion.The film shows daily offerings to spirits surrounding a newborn, and depicts in detail the protective calendrical ceremonies: past-life debts are released in a holy-water purification at six weeks; a first step on the earth is celebrated at three Balinese months; a first haircut and naming ceremony take place at one Balinese year; and an elaborate ceremony to strengthen the spirit guardians is held on a child's third Balinese birthday. The symbolism and significance of the ceremonies are explained by the distinguished priests who actually officiate.In addition, the film affords a rare view of a family consulting a traditional psychic channeler to learn which ancestor has reincarnated in a newborn child, and follows a six-year-old as he commits to serious music study. Renowned musician I Wayan Suweca comments on the intergenerational transmission of artistic power ("taksu") in Balinese life.Kawitan is the first film (see also Kahyangan: The Balinese Journey of the Soul) in a projected cycle of documentaries portraying the seven life ceremonies and seven after-life ceremonies in Balinese Hindu-Buddhist religion and culture. The film is a collaboration between ethnomusicologist Linda Burman-Hall and director Eli Hollander, both of University of California Santa Cruz. It will stimulate thought and discussion in a variety of courses in Asian and Balinese studies, cultural anthropology, ethnomusicology, and religion.
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Field of Study
Asian Studies
Content Type
Documentary
Contributor
Linda Burman-Hall, Eli Hollander, fl. 1982
Author / Creator
Eli Hollander, fl. 1982
Date Published / Released
2002
Publisher
Berkeley Media
Topic / Theme
Social customs, Buddhism, Religious rites and ceremonies, Balinese
Copyright Message
Copyright © 2002 Berkeley Media
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Keep Her Under Control: Law's Patriarchy in India
produced by Erin P. Moore, 1951- (Berkeley, CA: Berkeley Media, 1998), 1 hour 10 mins
This provocative documentary, which explores the role of women in a Muslim-dominated village in Rajasthan, in northern India, is original, compelling, and instructive, and it is sure to stimulate discussion and analysis in any course that studies gender roles, Islam, India, or cultural anthropology.The film focuse...
Sample
produced by Erin P. Moore, 1951- (Berkeley, CA: Berkeley Media, 1998), 1 hour 10 mins
Description
This provocative documentary, which explores the role of women in a Muslim-dominated village in Rajasthan, in northern India, is original, compelling, and instructive, and it is sure to stimulate discussion and analysis in any course that studies gender roles, Islam, India, or cultural anthropology.The film focuses on the dramatic story of a woman, named Hurmuti, who refuses to live by the moral and legal codes of the village's Islamic patriarchy...
This provocative documentary, which explores the role of women in a Muslim-dominated village in Rajasthan, in northern India, is original, compelling, and instructive, and it is sure to stimulate discussion and analysis in any course that studies gender roles, Islam, India, or cultural anthropology.The film focuses on the dramatic story of a woman, named Hurmuti, who refuses to live by the moral and legal codes of the village's Islamic patriarchy. Hurmuti is the eldest wife in an extended family, but she has had a long-term -- and well-known -- affair with another man in the village. The film examines her conflicts with her extended family and with the all-male Islamic Village Council over her own conduct and over her insistence on the right to arrange the marriages of her pre-pubescent daughters.As Hurmuti's fascinating story unfolds it is interwoven with scenes that illustrate the process of growing up female in the village: the play of children; the talk and the duties of adolescent girls; marriage customs; dowry issues; relationships with mothers-in-law; rights to land ownership; and even spirit possessions.Viewers will experience a wide range of emotions, grapple with an array of stimulating questions, and in the end be forced to consider how Hurmuti's life options would have been different if she had been born male.The film is based on ethnographic research carried out in Rajasthan over the past two decades by the producer, Prof. Erin Moore, of the Dept. of Anthropology, Univ. of Southern California. An in-depth Instructor's Guide sheds additional light on the issues covered in the film and provides background information on Indian and Muslim social and legal customs.
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Field of Study
Anthropology
Content Type
Documentary
Contributor
Erin P. Moore, 1951-
Author / Creator
Erin P. Moore, 1951-
Date Published / Released
1998
Publisher
Berkeley Media
Topic / Theme
Islam, Social conflict, Women's issues, Leadership roles, Family relationships, Hindi
Copyright Message
Copyright © 1998 Berkeley Media
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The King Does Not Lie
written by Judith Gleason; produced by Judith Gleason and Elisa Mereghetti (New York, NY: Filmakers Library, 1993), 43 mins
This film shows the Afro-Cuban religion, Santeria, whose New World practitioners have too often been maligned out of ignorance and prejudice and even harassed by authorities. In this intimate documentary we see a contemporary Puerto Rican community of "santeros" gather for the initiation of a priest of Shango, the...
Sample
written by Judith Gleason; produced by Judith Gleason and Elisa Mereghetti (New York, NY: Filmakers Library, 1993), 43 mins
Description
This film shows the Afro-Cuban religion, Santeria, whose New World practitioners have too often been maligned out of ignorance and prejudice and even harassed by authorities. In this intimate documentary we see a contemporary Puerto Rican community of "santeros" gather for the initiation of a priest of Shango, the "Thundergod" of the traditional Yoruba religion. As we follow the initiate through a series of ritual events, a new perspective on anc...
This film shows the Afro-Cuban religion, Santeria, whose New World practitioners have too often been maligned out of ignorance and prejudice and even harassed by authorities. In this intimate documentary we see a contemporary Puerto Rican community of "santeros" gather for the initiation of a priest of Shango, the "Thundergod" of the traditional Yoruba religion. As we follow the initiate through a series of ritual events, a new perspective on ancient rites is revealed. The religion originated in Africa and the chants are sung in Yoruba. Rituals like these are the basis of ceremonies performed in churches and temples of established religions. Sacred stones washed in sacred, leafy waters become the energy for ritual purification and empowerment. The anointment of head, feet and stones with the blood of sacrifice ensures atonement. On the third day the community gathers to witness the divination session in which the initiate receives his new name, "Oba Ko Puro", translated from Yoruba as "The King Does Not Lie." With the name, comes the story of the initiate's transfer of allegiance from an outer/worldly to inner/spiritual authority. Combining ritual narration with poetic translation from Lucumi/Yoruba chants provides the viewer with an understanding of the literal and figurative dimensions of the ceremony. A film of special interest to students of comparative religion, ritual, and Afro-Caribbean culture. College Adult
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Date Written / Recorded
1991
Field of Study
Anthropology
Content Type
Documentary
Contributor
Judith Gleason, Elisa Mereghetti, Teresita Martinez, Miriam Cruz, Francisco Rivela, 1955-2009
Author / Creator
Judith Gleason, Elisa Mereghetti
Date Published / Released
1993
Publisher
Filmakers Library
Speaker / Narrator
Teresita Martinez, Miriam Cruz, Francisco Rivela, 1955-2009
Topic / Theme
Puerto Rican, African Caribbean, Religious faiths, Religious rites and ceremonies, Religion, Ethnography, Puerto Ricans, Africans, Carib
Copyright Message
Copyright © 1993. Used by permission of Filmakers Library. All rights reserved.
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A Little for My Heart and A Little for My God
written by Brita Landoff, 1946-; directed by Brita Landoff, 1946-; produced by Lindberg & Landoff Film (New York, NY: Filmakers Library, 1993), 58 mins
Since in Algeria most women traditionally are not allowed to mix with men, female orchestras customarily entertain gatherings of women. When they play, women remove their veils and dance, away from the view of men. All summer long one can hear music from roof terraces and walled gardens as women celebrate engageme...
Sample
written by Brita Landoff, 1946-; directed by Brita Landoff, 1946-; produced by Lindberg & Landoff Film (New York, NY: Filmakers Library, 1993), 58 mins
Description
Since in Algeria most women traditionally are not allowed to mix with men, female orchestras customarily entertain gatherings of women. When they play, women remove their veils and dance, away from the view of men. All summer long one can hear music from roof terraces and walled gardens as women celebrate engagements, weddings and the circumcision of their sons.The meddahatts are women musicians who perform for other women. Though they are much i...
Since in Algeria most women traditionally are not allowed to mix with men, female orchestras customarily entertain gatherings of women. When they play, women remove their veils and dance, away from the view of men. All summer long one can hear music from roof terraces and walled gardens as women celebrate engagements, weddings and the circumcision of their sons.The meddahatts are women musicians who perform for other women. Though they are much in demand, they are held in low esteem. Many are widowed or divorced and have fallen on hard times. But their earthy humor and erotic showmanship delights their normally constrained sisters.This film is a portrait of one such orchestra. Only a woman filmmaker could have penetrated this closed environment and captured on film such a spontaneous and colorful portrait. Paradoxically, this orchestra includes Sid Ahmen and Amin, a gay couple. Nobody seems to question their presence, the only men in an exclusively female world. College Adult
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Field of Study
LGBT Studies
Content Type
Documentary
Contributor
Brita Landoff, 1946-, Sid Ahmed, fl. 1995, Amin, fl. 1995, Lindberg & Landoff Film
Author / Creator
Brita Landoff, 1946-
Date Published / Released
1994, 1993
Publisher
Filmakers Library
Topic / Theme
Algerian, Musical ensembles, Gender status, Gender discrimination, Islam, Sexuality, Childhood, Music, Women's issues, Ethnography, Gay & Lesbian Studies, Algerians
Copyright Message
Copyright © 1994. Used by permission of Filmakers Library. All rights reserved.
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