Browse Titles - 417 results
See details
Daba / Na Shaman (Teacher's Edition)
directed by Cai Hua; produced by Cai Hua (London, England: Royal Anthropological Institute, 1999), 41 mins
View Teaching Guide for this video.
After more than a quarter of a century without any form of religious ceremony, the Na, an ethnic group living on the Himalayan plateau, began openly practising their religion again in the early 1990s. Their priests are called daba. Among the few old shamans who are still livin...
Sample
directed by Cai Hua; produced by Cai Hua (London, England: Royal Anthropological Institute, 1999), 41 mins
Description
View Teaching Guide for this video.
After more than a quarter of a century without any form of religious ceremony, the Na, an ethnic group living on the Himalayan plateau, began openly practising their religion again in the early 1990s. Their priests are called daba. Among the few old shamans who are still living today, Dafa Luzo is the most remarkable. As the main character in the film, we see him looking after his farm and his family, as well...
View Teaching Guide for this video.
After more than a quarter of a century without any form of religious ceremony, the Na, an ethnic group living on the Himalayan plateau, began openly practising their religion again in the early 1990s. Their priests are called daba. Among the few old shamans who are still living today, Dafa Luzo is the most remarkable. As the main character in the film, we see him looking after his farm and his family, as well as performing rituals to expel all unclean spirits and demons and honour the ancestors. His main worry, and his greatest hope, is to make sure his knowledge is safely handed down to the next generation.
Show more Show less
Field of Study
Anthropology
Content Type
Instructional material
Contributor
Cai Hua
Author / Creator
Cai Hua
Date Published / Released
1999
Publisher
Royal Anthropological Institute
Person Discussed
Dafa Luzo, fl. 1999
Topic / Theme
Farm life, Demonic possession, Mountains, Shamanism, Religious rites and ceremonies, Chinese, Na
Copyright Message
Copyright © 1999. Used by permission of Royal Anthropological Institute. All rights reserved.
×
See details
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.
Show more
Show less
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
×
See details
Disappearing World, Embera: The End of the Road
directed by Brian Moser, fl. 1960; produced by Brian Moser, fl. 1960, in Disappearing World (London, England: Royal Anthropological Institute, 1971), 50 mins
The way of life of the 10,000 Embera Indians who live in the Choco region of Colombia, South American, is threatened by the encroachments of Negro Libres (descendants of freed slaves) and by the expansion of the Pan-American highway which cuts through their land. The film's main concern is to show the effects of i...
Sample
directed by Brian Moser, fl. 1960; produced by Brian Moser, fl. 1960, in Disappearing World (London, England: Royal Anthropological Institute, 1971), 50 mins
Description
The way of life of the 10,000 Embera Indians who live in the Choco region of Colombia, South American, is threatened by the encroachments of Negro Libres (descendants of freed slaves) and by the expansion of the Pan-American highway which cuts through their land. The film's main concern is to show the effects of interaction between the Embera river dwellers and two groups of outsiders: the Libres with whom they trade, and the local Catholic missi...
The way of life of the 10,000 Embera Indians who live in the Choco region of Colombia, South American, is threatened by the encroachments of Negro Libres (descendants of freed slaves) and by the expansion of the Pan-American highway which cuts through their land. The film's main concern is to show the effects of interaction between the Embera river dwellers and two groups of outsiders: the Libres with whom they trade, and the local Catholic mission which administers education, religion and civil justice. Although the Embera are exploited by the Libres (who, for example, sell them hunting dogs at very high prices) both groups are poor and largely without rights in Colombian society. In an interview, the Embera explain to the anthropologist that they want protection from the physical attacks of the Libres and legal rights over the land which they have inhabited for many years. Sequences such as this bring out the Embera's plight: they are caught between the bulldozers and the banknotes of the Libres. We are shown the material culture and way of life of the Indians (canoe building, pot making, hunting, curing rituals) but not in a romanticised way, and the polemical organisation of the film allows the ethnographic details of the life of these river Indians to be placed in a wide social and economic context.
Show more
Show less
Field of Study
Anthropology
Content Type
Documentary
Contributor
Ariane Deluz, fl. 1971, Brian Moser, fl. 1960, Chris Kelly, fl. 1971
Author / Creator
Brian Moser, fl. 1960, Ariane Deluz, fl. 1971
Date Published / Released
1971
Publisher
Royal Anthropological Institute
Series
Disappearing World
Speaker / Narrator
Chris Kelly, fl. 1971
Topic / Theme
Chocoe, Ethnic relations, Societal structure, Shamanism, Cultural change and history, American Indians, Asians
Copyright Message
Copyright © 1971 by the Royal Anthropological Institute
×
See details
Disappearing World, The Dervishes of Kurdistan
directed by Brian Moser, fl. 1960; produced by Brian Moser, fl. 1960, in Disappearing World (London, England: Royal Anthropological Institute, 1973), 59 mins
A community of Kurds resident in Iran on the border with Iraq forms the subject of this film. Many of the inhabitants of the community are refugees from Kurdish areas of Iraq and the villagers are Qadiri Dervishes – followers of an ecstatic mystical cult of Islam. The unusual manifestations of the Qadiri Dervish...
Sample
directed by Brian Moser, fl. 1960; produced by Brian Moser, fl. 1960, in Disappearing World (London, England: Royal Anthropological Institute, 1973), 59 mins
Description
A community of Kurds resident in Iran on the border with Iraq forms the subject of this film. Many of the inhabitants of the community are refugees from Kurdish areas of Iraq and the villagers are Qadiri Dervishes – followers of an ecstatic mystical cult of Islam. The unusual manifestations of the Qadiri Dervish faith are explored in this film, both in the context of religious ceremonies and everyday life, with the main focus on the spiritual a...
A community of Kurds resident in Iran on the border with Iraq forms the subject of this film. Many of the inhabitants of the community are refugees from Kurdish areas of Iraq and the villagers are Qadiri Dervishes – followers of an ecstatic mystical cult of Islam. The unusual manifestations of the Qadiri Dervish faith are explored in this film, both in the context of religious ceremonies and everyday life, with the main focus on the spiritual and temporal power wielded by their leader, Sheikh Hussein. For the Durvishes, Hussein is the direct representative of Allah and, therefore, by serving the Sheikh they are also serving God. In rituals presided over by him they have the power to carry out acts which would normally be harmful, such as having electricity passed through their bodies, eating glass, handling poisonous snakes and skewering their faces. The film includes interviews, not only with members of the cult, but also with the local mullah (representative of orthodox Islam), in an attempt to explore the difference between those two manifestations of the same faith. The film is visually compelling, especially the sequences showing religious celebration and ceremony.
Show more
Show less
Field of Study
Anthropology
Content Type
Documentary
Contributor
Ali Bulookbashi, fl. 1973, Andre Singer, fl. 1975, Brian Moser, fl. 1960, John Sheppard
Author / Creator
Brian Moser, fl. 1960, Ali Bulookbashi, fl. 1973, Andre Singer, fl. 1975
Date Published / Released
1973
Publisher
Royal Anthropological Institute
Series
Disappearing World
Speaker / Narrator
John Sheppard
Topic / Theme
Kurdish, Kurdish people, Religious practices, Religious communities, Dervishes, Europeans, Afghans
Copyright Message
Copyright © 1973 by the Royal Anthropological Institute
×
See details
Disappearing World, The Mehinacu
directed by Carlos Pasini Hansen, fl. 1994; produced by Carlos Pasini Hansen, fl. 1994, in Disappearing World (London, England: Royal Anthropological Institute, 1974), 53 mins
The Mehinacu live near the head-waters of the River Xingu in Central Brazil, in a single village within the protective confines of the Xingu National Park. Although the film concentrates upon the most exotic aspects of Mehinacu life, focusing on a series of rituals concerned with the planting and harvesting of the...
Sample
directed by Carlos Pasini Hansen, fl. 1994; produced by Carlos Pasini Hansen, fl. 1994, in Disappearing World (London, England: Royal Anthropological Institute, 1974), 53 mins
Description
The Mehinacu live near the head-waters of the River Xingu in Central Brazil, in a single village within the protective confines of the Xingu National Park. Although the film concentrates upon the most exotic aspects of Mehinacu life, focusing on a series of rituals concerned with the planting and harvesting of the piqui tree, these rites are firmly located in their social context: relations between the sexes in this society are formalised in an a...
The Mehinacu live near the head-waters of the River Xingu in Central Brazil, in a single village within the protective confines of the Xingu National Park. Although the film concentrates upon the most exotic aspects of Mehinacu life, focusing on a series of rituals concerned with the planting and harvesting of the piqui tree, these rites are firmly located in their social context: relations between the sexes in this society are formalised in an astonishing abundance of ritual, celebration, dances and games, performed to ensure fertile soil and good crops. Many sequences deal with the daily life of the Mehinacu, showing, for example, the sexual division of labour, with men fishing and women preparing manioc. The use of subtitled interviews provides a depth and sensitivity in the film's approach which helps to underline the concern with the fact that these Indians are seriously threatened by a road which is being cut through their territory. One of the highlights of the film is an interview with a Mehinacu elder who tells of the origin myth of the sacred flutes, a myth which is part of a complex belief system that will be lost if the Mehinacu, who are such a small group, are not able to survive under the pressures of the outside world. The film could be used to stimulate discussions of sex role differences, sexual division of labour in particular societies, and the connection between ritual and social relationships
Show more
Show less
Field of Study
Anthropology
Content Type
Documentary
Contributor
Thomas A. Gregor, fl. 1969, Carlos Pasini Hansen, fl. 1994
Author / Creator
Carlos Pasini Hansen, fl. 1994, Thomas A. Gregor, fl. 1969
Date Published / Released
1974
Publisher
Royal Anthropological Institute
Series
Disappearing World
Topic / Theme
Mehinaku, Animism, American Indians, Gender roles, Arabs
Copyright Message
Copyright © 1974 by the Royal Anthropological Institute
×
See details
Disappearing World, The Sakuddei
directed by John Sheppard; produced by John Sheppard, in Disappearing World (London, England: Royal Anthropological Institute, 1974), 53 mins
The Sakuddei are a small and ethnically separate community living on the island of Siberut off the west coast of Sumatra in Indonesia. Their distinctive way of life and elaborate religious ceremonies, centred on the umah (ceremonial house) are under threat from the Indonesian government which wishes to `civilise'...
Sample
directed by John Sheppard; produced by John Sheppard, in Disappearing World (London, England: Royal Anthropological Institute, 1974), 53 mins
Description
The Sakuddei are a small and ethnically separate community living on the island of Siberut off the west coast of Sumatra in Indonesia. Their distinctive way of life and elaborate religious ceremonies, centred on the umah (ceremonial house) are under threat from the Indonesian government which wishes to `civilise' the Sakuddei. These people are also threatened by a timber company from the Philippines which has been granted a logging concession in...
The Sakuddei are a small and ethnically separate community living on the island of Siberut off the west coast of Sumatra in Indonesia. Their distinctive way of life and elaborate religious ceremonies, centred on the umah (ceremonial house) are under threat from the Indonesian government which wishes to `civilise' the Sakuddei. These people are also threatened by a timber company from the Philippines which has been granted a logging concession in the Sakuddei's territory. The first part of the film contains strikingly photographed scenes of ritual life in the umah, while in the second part there is an interview with a representative of the government who wants to send the Sakuddei children to school in a government village on the coast. The adults fear that the children will lose touch with their own customs and identity if placed in such an institution. Their concern forms part of a moving and dramatic film which explores the contrast between the Sakuddei's way of life and the various pressures of modern Indonesian society on them: Islam, money, police, administrators and the lumber companies.
Show more
Show less
Field of Study
Anthropology
Content Type
Documentary
Contributor
Reimar Schefold, 1938-, John Sheppard
Author / Creator
John Sheppard, Reimar Schefold, 1938-
Date Published / Released
1974
Publisher
Royal Anthropological Institute
Series
Disappearing World
Topic / Theme
Sakuddei, Societal structure, Animism, Cultural views, Exogamy, Asian ethnic groups, Jews
Copyright Message
Copyright © 1974 by the Royal Anthropological Institute
×
See details
Disappearing World, Sherpas of Nepal
directed by Leslie Woodhead; produced by Leslie Woodhead, in Disappearing World (London, England: Royal Anthropological Institute, 1977), 53 mins
Thami is a village 12,000 feet up in the Himalayas in the Kingdom of Nepal. As the film's opening shots illustrate, in a type of filmic short-hand, Thami is composed of a patchwork of individual farms – indicative of the Sherpa emphasis on independence and family self-sufficiency. The main concern of the film is...
Sample
directed by Leslie Woodhead; produced by Leslie Woodhead, in Disappearing World (London, England: Royal Anthropological Institute, 1977), 53 mins
Description
Thami is a village 12,000 feet up in the Himalayas in the Kingdom of Nepal. As the film's opening shots illustrate, in a type of filmic short-hand, Thami is composed of a patchwork of individual farms – indicative of the Sherpa emphasis on independence and family self-sufficiency. The main concern of the film is to examine what it means to be Sherpa today in both cultural and economic terms: to this end the film concentrates on the varied caree...
Thami is a village 12,000 feet up in the Himalayas in the Kingdom of Nepal. As the film's opening shots illustrate, in a type of filmic short-hand, Thami is composed of a patchwork of individual farms – indicative of the Sherpa emphasis on independence and family self-sufficiency. The main concern of the film is to examine what it means to be Sherpa today in both cultural and economic terms: to this end the film concentrates on the varied career choices of three brothers from Thami – peasant farmer, Buddhist monk and head guide. Interviews with the brothers, enabling them to express their own attitudes and expectations, deepen the analysis. The second half of the film deals with the preparations for the festivities of a Sherpa wedding, emphasising that negotiations about bridewealth are lengthy – often taking years – since marriage is viewed primarily as an economic transaction. Sequences showing peasant farming activities, in combination with scenes of Sherpa life in Katmandu, contrast the old way of life with the new and illustrate the changing socio-economic conditions encountered by Sherpas today.
Show more
Show less
Field of Study
Anthropology
Content Type
Documentary
Contributor
Sherry Ortner, 1941-, Leslie Woodhead
Author / Creator
Leslie Woodhead, Sherry Ortner, 1941-
Date Published / Released
1977
Publisher
Royal Anthropological Institute
Series
Disappearing World
Topic / Theme
Sherpa, Agrarian people, Weddings, Buddhism, Asian ethnic groups, Asians
Copyright Message
Copyright © 1977 by the Royal Anthropological Institute
×
See details
Disappearing World, The Pathans
directed by Andre Singer, fl. 1975, in Disappearing World (London, England: Royal Anthropological Institute), 39 mins
There are twelve million Pathans. Bound by a common language, a common heritage and the unifying force of Islam, these proud and independent people do not acknowledge the geographical boundary which divides them between Afghanistan and Pakistan. This film was shot at the same time as Khyber in Pakistan, close to t...
Sample
directed by Andre Singer, fl. 1975, in Disappearing World (London, England: Royal Anthropological Institute), 39 mins
Description
There are twelve million Pathans. Bound by a common language, a common heritage and the unifying force of Islam, these proud and independent people do not acknowledge the geographical boundary which divides them between Afghanistan and Pakistan. This film was shot at the same time as Khyber in Pakistan, close to the Afghan border. The Pathans accept no imposed leadership, from without or from within. Their laws are the decisions of the democratic...
There are twelve million Pathans. Bound by a common language, a common heritage and the unifying force of Islam, these proud and independent people do not acknowledge the geographical boundary which divides them between Afghanistan and Pakistan. This film was shot at the same time as Khyber in Pakistan, close to the Afghan border. The Pathans accept no imposed leadership, from without or from within. Their laws are the decisions of the democratic assembly of the village, known as the jirga. To disobey the jirga is to court heavy penalties against which there is no appeal. Their code of living is called pukhtunwali the way of the Pathan. At its core are the principles of hospitality, personal honour and revenge. A man will fight to the death to avenge a wrong done to himself, his family or friends or, above all, his women. The film is noteworthy for the way in which it brings out the importance of these values. Their fierce loyalty, coupled with the independence of spirit which tolerates no formal leaders, makes the Pathans a formidable enemy, as the British once found out and, more recently, the Soviet invaders of Afghanistan have discovered.
Show more
Show less
Field of Study
Anthropology
Content Type
Documentary
Contributor
Akbar Ahmed, 1943-
Author / Creator
Andre Singer, fl. 1975, Akbar Ahmed, 1943-
Date Published / Released
1980
Publisher
Royal Anthropological Institute
Series
Disappearing World
Topic / Theme
Pathan, Islam, Cultural identity, Tribal and national groups, Pashto
Copyright Message
Copyright © 1980 by Disappearing World Films. Contact Royal Anthropological Institute
×
See details
Disappearing World, Witchcraft Among the Azande
directed by Andre Singer, fl. 1975; produced by Andre Singer, fl. 1975, in Disappearing World (London, England: Royal Anthropological Institute, 1981), 53 mins
This documentary analyzes the role of witchcraft among the Azande people of central Africa, who considered it to be a major danger. They believe that witchcraft can be inherited and that a person can be a witch without realizing her or his bad influence. The film shows that, because of this danger, effective means...
Sample
directed by Andre Singer, fl. 1975; produced by Andre Singer, fl. 1975, in Disappearing World (London, England: Royal Anthropological Institute, 1981), 53 mins
Description
This documentary analyzes the role of witchcraft among the Azande people of central Africa, who considered it to be a major danger. They believe that witchcraft can be inherited and that a person can be a witch without realizing her or his bad influence. The film shows that, because of this danger, effective means of diagnosing witchcraft are vital. Several methods of diagnosis are explored in the film, the most important being benge, a poison wh...
This documentary analyzes the role of witchcraft among the Azande people of central Africa, who considered it to be a major danger. They believe that witchcraft can be inherited and that a person can be a witch without realizing her or his bad influence. The film shows that, because of this danger, effective means of diagnosing witchcraft are vital. Several methods of diagnosis are explored in the film, the most important being benge, a poison which is fed to baby chickens. The chick's death or survival provides a judgment of the person in question.
Anthropologists have long argued about the nature and significance of belief in witchcraft and sorcery and, more generally, about the similarities and differences between such thought and Western science. This film treads this path delicately, exploring an explanation of reality incomprehensible to a majority of Westerners and, at the same time, portraying the Azande as a clear-thinking and familiar group of people.
Show more
Show less
Field of Study
Anthropology
Content Type
Documentary
Contributor
John Ryle, 1952-, Andre Singer, fl. 1975, William Boyd, 1895-1972
Author / Creator
Andre Singer, fl. 1975, John Ryle, 1952-
Date Published / Released
1981
Publisher
Royal Anthropological Institute
Series
Disappearing World
Speaker / Narrator
William Boyd, 1895-1972
Topic / Theme
Zande, Social control, Wicca, African ethnic groups, Religion
Copyright Message
Copyright © 1981 by the Royal Anthropological Institute
×
See details
Disappearing World, The Dervishes of Kurdistan
directed by Brian Moser, fl. 1960; produced by Brian Moser, fl. 1960, in Disappearing World (New York, NY: Filmakers Library, 1987), 1 hour 1 mins
The Dervishes of Kurdistan captures the mountainous frontier of Iran and Iraq. The Dervishes' religious faith allows them to thrust skewers in their cheeks, plunge daggers in their sides, eat glass, and lick white-hot spoons. This program shows how religion and politics are intertwined in Islamic culture.
Sample
directed by Brian Moser, fl. 1960; produced by Brian Moser, fl. 1960, in Disappearing World (New York, NY: Filmakers Library, 1987), 1 hour 1 mins
Description
The Dervishes of Kurdistan captures the mountainous frontier of Iran and Iraq. The Dervishes' religious faith allows them to thrust skewers in their cheeks, plunge daggers in their sides, eat glass, and lick white-hot spoons. This program shows how religion and politics are intertwined in Islamic culture.
Field of Study
Politics & Current Affairs
Content Type
Documentary
Contributor
Brian Moser, fl. 1960, John Sheppard, 1515-1558, John Sheppard
Author / Creator
Brian Moser, fl. 1960
Date Published / Released
1987
Publisher
Filmakers Library
Series
Disappearing World
Speaker / Narrator
John Sheppard, 1515-1558, John Sheppard
Topic / Theme
Kurdish, Religious beliefs, Islam, Dervishes, Ethnography
Copyright Message
Copyright © 1987. Used by permission of Filmakers Library. All rights reserved.
×
