Copyright 2026, Documentary Educational Resources https://store.der.org/aibel-bob-c332all.aspx Sun, 20 Sep 2026 15:02:22 GMT 60 Nexternal RSS 2.0 en-us https://store.der.org/a-country-auction-p901.aspx Product901 Thu, 30 Aug 2018 08:16:00 GMT <div style="float:left"><a class="url" href="https://store.der.org/a-country-auction-p901.aspx"><img src="//cdn.nexternal.com/der/images/country-auction.jpg" alt="A Country Auction" border="0" hspace="3"></a></div><span class="riRssTitle"><a href="https://store.der.org/a-country-auction-p901.aspx">A Country Auction</a></span><br><a href="https://store.der.org/a-country-auction-p901.aspx">Buy Now:</a> <span color="#990000"><b>$320.00</b></span> <br /><br /><div><i>A Country Auction Film Project</i>, based on the ethnographic research of Robert Aibel, Chris Musello and Jay Ruby, consists of a trio of films covering a period of almost 30 years.&nbsp;<div><br /></div><div>In 1983 three ethnographers and a documentary filmmaker collaboratively produced two films –&nbsp;<i>A Country Auction</i>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<i>Can I Get A Quarter?</i>&nbsp;– that documented ethnographic research conducted on estate sales held in a rural Central Pennsylvania community. Over the next 25 years, these films were screened in numerous film festivals, broadcast on public television, and reviewed in academic journals.&nbsp;</div><div><br /></div><div>The consensus among the filmmakers was that few people appeared to comprehend their intentions in producing the films. In 2008 they decided to return to the community where&nbsp;<i>A Country Auction</i>&nbsp;was filmed and hold an anniversary screening. In addition, the four filmmakers came together for a critical discussion about the successes and failures of the original Auction film. This discussion became the basis of a third film,&nbsp;<i>Reflexive Musings: A Country Auction Study Film</i>.&nbsp;</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Films on this DVD&nbsp;</b></div><div><i>A Country Auction: The Paul V. Leitzel Estate Sale</i>&nbsp;(58 min, 1983)</div><div>Produced and Directed by Bob Aibel, Ben Levin, Chris Musello and Jay Ruby An ethnographic film about an estate auction in a rural community in Pennsylvania. It examines the personal, social and economic processes involved when a family dissolves their homestead. The film portrays the auction process as integral to the social life of the community and as a method for a family and community to deal with the death of one of their members.&nbsp;</div><div><br /></div><div><i>Can I Get a Quarter?</i>&nbsp;(6 min, 1983)&nbsp;</div><div>Produced and Directed by Bob Aibel, Ben Levin, Chris Musello and Jay Ruby A short observation of the auction of objects that remained unsold after the all day sale of the real estate and possessions of Paul Leitzel as shown in the film,&nbsp;A Country Auction.&nbsp;</div><div><br /></div><div><i>Reflexive Musings: A Country Auction Study Film</i>&nbsp;(47 min, 2012)&nbsp;</div><div>Produced and Directed by Milton Machuca and Jay Ruby A uniquely reflexive examination of the successes and failures of A Country Auction as an anthropological film. The four producers take part in a prolonged critical discussion of the original film.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Film Festivals</b></div><div>Gottingen International Ethnographic Film Festival, Germany, 2014</div><div>EASA Biennial Conference, Estonian Institute of Humanities, Tallinn University, 2014<br />Viscult, Joensuu, Finland, 2010</div><br /><br />Visit <a href="https://store.der.org/aibel-bob-c332all.aspx">Aibel, Bob</a> to see additional products in this category.</div>