Documentary Educational Resources - Subject / Gender / Gender Roles / All Films

Co-Husband

Wed, 18 Sep 2024 18:51:34 GMT

Co-husband is a portrait of the practice of fraternal polyandry in the communities of the indigenous Humlo people in the Humla district of Nepal. Told from the perspective of the wives and husbands as well as the members of the community who reject this model, the film explores the economic, cultural and emotional dimensions of this custom and the social consequences for those who don’t practice it.

This family structure is closely related to the caravan trade, when men were absent for long periods of time– traveling for up to eight months at a time to transport salt from Tibet and rice from the Achham region. On the one hand, this limited their time together at home, and on the other, from an economic perspective, it allowed them to share resources, reduce land division and have a larger support system, which enabled them to prosper economically. However, with the continuing decline in this form of work and the rise in unemployment, everyday life has changed and individual needs have shifted, which raises the question of whether polyandry will continue to be practiced.

Nepalese filmmaker Ganesh Panday’s documentary invites a dialogue about how different a household and a family can look, what economic considerations go into such a structure, how to define a ‘successful’ household and what role love plays in marriage.

“A deeply human and visually stunning exploration of love, duty, and family in the high Himalayas, offering a rare glimpse into the intimate rhythms of fraternal polyandry. More than an ethnographic study, it’s a moving portrait of resilience and connection that expands our understanding of what kinship can mean in South Asia and in the world.” – Prof. Harjant Gill, President, Society for Visual Anthropology

SELECTED SCREENINGS & AWARDS

Best Short Film, Society of Visual Anthropology Film and Media Festival, USA, 2023

Bronze Award, Meihodo Int'l Youth Visual Media Festival, Japan, 2023

Best Documentary Film, Gateway Int'l Film Festival, Canada, 2023

Best Int'l Documentary Film, Cobb Inte'l Film Festival, USA, 2022

London Mountain Film Festival, UK, 2023

Best Documentary Film, Shimla Int'l Film Festival, India, 2021

Best Documentary Film, Nepal-Africa Film Festival, Nepal, 2021

29th Int'l Festival of Mountain Films Poprad, Slovakia, 2021

Best Documentary Film, Nepal Int'l Film Festival (NIFF), Nepal, 2020

Grand Prix Award, Kansk Int'l Video Festival, Russia, 2020

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The Song of Aida

Fri, 16 Aug 2024 11:34:33 GMT

The Song of Aida
Buy Now: $320.00

As a teenager, Aida dreamed of becoming a model and singer. Now in her thirties, she is trapped in an arranged marriage and feels stuck living in a shack in a Roma community in Bari, Italy. She suffers from depression, longs to leave her marriage and return to Romania, where living conditions are better. Shot over a twenty-year period, filmmaker Giovanni Princigalli offers an intimate portrait of one woman’s struggle for emancipation, providing insights into life in the deeply patriarchal and tradition-bound Roma community in Bari, Italy. Princigalli makes it clear from the opening sequence that the Roma community in Bari does not represent that of Roma in other parts of Europe today.

Princigalli was born in Bari, Italy and studied Political Sciences at the University of Bari. His first film Japigia Gagi (Roma Stories) profiles the Bari community as he found it in 2001 and 2002. Song of Aida draws on footage from this early project as well as from visits in 2014 and in the early 2020s, when he focused on Aida’s story. This longitudinal view allows viewers to embrace Aida’s struggle as she finds her voice and independence from her family. The film also shows poetic animations that are used to illustrate the imagination of the protagonists.

“This film is the story of her [Aida’s] struggle for emancipation, independence and a new life outside the Roma camp.” — Giovanni Princigalli, Spring 2024

SELECTED SCREENINGS & AWARDS

21st edition of the Int'l Human Rights Film Festival (FICDH), Argentina, 2025

Nordic Anthropological Film Association (NAFA) Int'l Ethnographic Film Festival, Norway, 2024

Ethnocineca Int'l Documentary Film Festival, Vienna, 2024

Festival de Cine Etnográfico de Ecuador, Ecuador, 2024

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Yanomamö Films: Remastered, Vol. 1

Tue, 14 Sep 2021 09:45:14 GMT

Yanomamö Films: Remastered, Vol. 1
Buy Now: $1,000.00

In 1968 and again in 1971 filmmaker Timothy Asch and anthropologist Napoleon Chagnon collaborated on a project to film the Yanomamö Indians. Chagnon had conducted research among the Yanomamö beginning in 1964, and Asch had previously filmed in the field in Africa and Japan. During his first field trip, Chagnon used a 16mm Bolex to film selected aspects of Yanomamö life.

In 1968, Asch joined Chagnon, and from this first collaboration two films were produced: The Feast and Yanomamö: A Multidisciplinary Study. The latter film was made in close cooperation with a team of scientists from the Department of Human Genetics at the University of Michigan. A feast was chosen as the subject of the other film for several reasons: it was a predictable event, and as a single event it could be placed in the social and cultural context of the village. Additionally, the feast illustrated some classical anthropological themes - reciprocity and alliance formation - that would complement Chagnon's own published work, particularly his widely-read Yanomamö: The Fierce People.

Between 1968 and 1971 Chagnon returned annually to the field and filmed alone. The footage shot during this period became more meaningful when viewed as part of the larger body of film on the Yanomamö shot collaboratively by Asch and Chagnon in 1971. During 1971 the team (together with Craig Johnson who recorded synchronous sound) shot an additional 80,000 feet of 16mm color film, using Arriflex, Bolex, Nagra, and Uher equipment. The scene of most of this film is the remote village of Mishimishimabowei-teri, a village whose history and inhabitants Chagnon knew well. Several figures in particular are outstanding: Moawa, a village headman and Dedeheiwä, another headman and the leading shaman in Magical Death.

In all, Asch and Chagnon shot approximately 110,000 feet (50 hours) of film on the Yanomamö, much of it in Mishimishimabowei-teri. Thirty-seven films were produced from this footage and initially used in a national introductory curriculum project supported by the National Science Foundation. Today, they have become classics of visual anthropology and continue to be studied in classrooms throughout the world.

This collection includes these remastered films:

Arrow Game

The Ax Fight

Children's Magical Death

Climbing the Peach Palm

A Father Washes His Children

Magical Death

A Man and His Wife Make a Hammock

A Man Called Bee: Studying the Yanomamö

Moonblood: A Yanomamö Creation Myth

Weeding the Garden

Several of these films are also available on the Yanomamö Shorts DVD collection. This two-disc set includes the following remastered titles on Disc One: Arrow Game, Children's Magical Death, Climbing the Peach Palm, A Father Washes His Children, A Man and His Wife Make a Hammock and Weeding the Garden. Also included on Disc One: Firewood, Tapir Distribution and Tug-of-War. Disc Two includes: Dedeheiwä Rests in His Garden, Children Roasting Meat, A Woman Spins, Children Make a Toy Hammock, Sand Play, Playing in the Rain, Mouth Wrestling, and Young Shaman.

Films in the Yanomamö series:

Arrow Game *†

The Ax Fight †

Bride Service

Children's Magical Death *†

Climbing the Peach Palm *†

A Father Washes His Children *†

The Feast

Firewood *

Jaguar, a Yanomamö Twin Cycle Myth

Magical Death †

A Man and His Wife Make a Hammock *†

A Man Called Bee: Studying the Yanomamö †

Moonblood: A Yanomamö Creation Myth †

Myth of Naro, as told by Dedeheiwä

Myth of Naro, as told by Kaobawä

New Tribes Mission

Ocamo is My Town

Tapir Distribution *

Tug-of-War, Yanomamö *

Weeding the Garden *†

Yanomamö: A Multidisciplinary Study

Yanomamö of the Orinoco

* included on the Yanomamö Shorts compilation
† included in the Yanomamö Films: Remastered, Vol. 1 set

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Diary of a Maasai Village series

Wed, 5 Sep 2018 11:07:00 GMT

Diary of a Maasai Village series
Buy Now: $1,360.00

"A rich man in Maasai has children and cows.... and he has wives - many wives."

This series of five films by Melissa Llewelyn-Davies looks at daily life among the Maasai. The films are presented as a diary of a 7-week visit to a single village. The structure is episodic and the content dependent on various events or stories, some of which are developed through more than one film. The tapes can be used independently or together, to give an in-depth sense of Maasai life.

The senior man in the village is the most important Maasai prophet and magician who is known as the Laibon. He is regarded as a wealthy man because he has so many wives and children. He has 13 wives living in the village as well as a large number of children, about 20 daughters-in-law, and 30 grandchildren. All the main characters in the films are somehow related to the Laibon, who was nearly 80 years old when the films were made.

A common thread to the events of all five films is the ever-present anxiety about the state of the herds. These appear to be slowly depleting due to drought, disease and an increasing need to sell livestock for cash. Cash and/or livestock are needed by the Laibon and his kin to trade for wives, to pay off debts and to compensate for previous thefts.

Films in the Diary of a Maasai Village Series

Part 1: The Prophet's Village

Part 2: Two Ways Of Justice

Part 3: Two Mothers

Part 4: Two Journeys

Part 5: Nine Cows And An Ox

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Yanomamö Series

Wed, 5 Sep 2018 11:07:00 GMT

Yanomamö Series
Buy Now: $5,770.00

In 1968 and again in 1971 filmmaker Timothy Asch and anthropologist Napoleon Chagnon collaborated on a project to film the Yanomamö Indians in southern Venezuela and northern Brazil. Chagnon had conducted research among the Yanomamö beginning in 1964, and Asch had previously filmed in the field in Africa and Japan. During his first field trip, Chagnon used a 16mm Bolex to film selected aspects of Yanomamö life.

Several of these films are also available on the Yanomamö Shorts DVD collection, a 2007 re-mastered/authored 2-disc set which also contains eight previously unreleased short Yanomamö films and additional information about the series.

Films in the Yanomamö series:

Arrow Game *†

The Ax Fight †

Bride Service

Children's Magical Death *†

Climbing the Peach Palm *†

A Father Washes His Children *†

The Feast

Firewood *

Jaguar, a Yanomamö Twin Cycle Myth

Magical Death †

A Man and His Wife Make a Hammock *†

A Man Called Bee: Studying the Yanomamö †

Moonblood: A Yanomamö Creation Myth †

Myth of Naro, as told by Dedeheiwä

Myth of Naro, as told by Kaobawä

New Tribes Mission

Ocamo is My Town

Tapir Distribution *

Tug-of-War, Yanomamö *

Weeding the Garden *†

Yanomamö: A Multidisciplinary Study

Yanomamö of the Orinoco

* included on the Yanomamö Shorts compilation
† included in the Yanomamö Films: Remastered, Vol. 1 set

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Yanomamö Short Films

Wed, 5 Sep 2018 11:07:00 GMT

Yanomamö Short Films
Buy Now: $545.00

This 2-DVD set combines 17 short Yanomamö films in a 2007 compilation which contains additional background information about the series. Six of the films on Disc One were remastered in 2021. The updated versions are included here, and are also available in the set Yanomamo Films: Remastered, Vol 1.

Disc One contains all previously released titles:

Arrow Game *

Children's Magical Death *

Climbing the Peach Palm *

A Father Washes His Children *

Firewood

A Man and His Wife Make a Hammock *

Tapir Distribution

Tug-of-War

Weeding the Garden *

* Remastered 2021

Disc Two collects eight previously unreleased short films from the series. They only exist as what Asch called "slopticals," duplicated workprints with optical tracks that he assembled in order to receive feedback from fellow filmmakers. Although they lack narration or translated subtitles, they show many interesting aspects of social life:

Dedeheiwä Rests in His Garden (6 min)

The warmth of adult-child interaction is shown as children play with the resting Dedeheiwä.

Children Roasting Meat (5 min)

Several children sit and play together. One roasts meat and bananas over a small fire.

A Woman Spins (8 min)

A woman reclines in the shade, spinning while a baby tries to play with her thread.

Children Make a Toy Hammock (7 min)

While running around and playing, a few children work on a smaller version of the hammocks their parents make.

Sand Play (19 min)

Boys and girls aged four to seven sit in a tight circle and play around a sand pile.

Playing in the Rain (8 min)

Children and adults play tug of war in the rain.

Mouth Wrestling (5 min)

Teenagers wrestle over a wad of tobacco.

Young Shaman (10 min)

A young shaman, still an initiate, gets sick and loses control on the hallucinogen ebene.

Films in the Yanomamö series:

Arrow Game *†

The Ax Fight †

Bride Service

Children's Magical Death *†

Climbing the Peach Palm *†

A Father Washes His Children *†

The Feast

Firewood *

Jaguar, a Yanomamö Twin Cycle Myth

Magical Death †

A Man and His Wife Make a Hammock *†

A Man Called Bee: Studying the Yanomamö †

Moonblood: A Yanomamö Creation Myth †

Myth of Naro, as told by Dedeheiwä

Myth of Naro, as told by Kaobawä

New Tribes Mission

Ocamo is My Town

Tapir Distribution *

Tug-of-War, Yanomamö *

Weeding the Garden *†

Yanomamö: A Multidisciplinary Study

Yanomamö of the Orinoco

* included on the Yanomamö Shorts compilation
† included in the Yanomamö Films: Remastered, Vol. 1 set

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Cheerleader

Thu, 30 Aug 2018 08:16:00 GMT

Cheerleader
Buy Now: $295.00

Cheerleader explores the quest to be a champion, the experience of being female, and the ins and outs of an All-American pastime, all through the eyes of some of the nation’s youngest cheerleaders. Cheerleading began more than a century ago in the nation’s all-male colleges, and it wasn’t until the 1920s that women became involved. Like most cheerleaders, the Tigers spend their weekends supporting the football team. Their cheers are cute, flirty, and some would even say, sexy. And while yesterday’s cheerleaders stood on the sidelines, the Tigers want center stage. They dance like Paula Abdul and backflip like Mary Lou Retton. They’re athletic, perky and polished – a winning combination in the world of competitive cheerleading. Through the Tigers’ story and the unfolding of cheerleading’s own history, Cheerleader looks at the complexity of the sport and shows how cheerleading remains a robust image in our society – one that influences how we see women and how women see themselves. Excerpts from Cheerleader are currently being featured in the International Museum of Women's online exhibit Imagining Ourselves (Sept. 15 — Oct. 1, 2007). View clips of the film here.

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A Calling To Care

Thu, 30 Aug 2018 08:15:00 GMT

A Calling To Care
Buy Now: $295.00

A Calling to Care is the inspiring story of 55 year-old Grace Stanley, a Canadian nurse who left her home and prestigious career behind to answer a calling halfway around the world in Karachi, Pakistan. Teaching nursing to local women in a strict Muslim culture that forbids them to even to touch men is a formidable task.

However, Grace challenges her own values and belief systems to find common ground with her students, helping them to excel and feel respect for themselves in a culture that doesn't respect them. Whether it is getting her hands painted with henna, swimming fully-clothed in the ocean, or marching bravely with them on International Women's Day, Grace bonds with her students in a very special way, and ultimately discovers how the West can learn a lot more from the Third World than she ever thought.

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Dodoth Morning

Thu, 30 Aug 2018 07:05:00 GMT

Dodoth Morning
Buy Now: $295.00

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.

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Duka's Dilemma

Thu, 30 Aug 2018 07:05:00 GMT

Duka's Dilemma
Buy Now: $320.00

Duka is a married woman and mother of five young children, living in Hamar, Southern Ethiopia. Ever since her husband married a beautiful, young, second wife, Duka has been in a state of emotional turmoil. Among the Hamar, who live with herds and cultivate small fields of sorghum in their remote, bush-covered country, men are allowed to marry more than one wife, but only a few men ever do so. Duka wonders why her husband married again; did he find her too old, or was he turned off because of her chronic malaria? Also, she doesn't know what to make of the new wife who is silent and never expresses her feelings except in rage? And on top of this, her mother-in-law keeps making trouble and is angry with her son for marrying a second wife behind her back. Personal and intimate, the film follows the drama of this family in crisis, the high points of which are the birth of the new wife's child, and nine months later, a heated dispute between the mother-in-law and her son, which leads to the building of a new house. Duka, her husband, her mother-in-law and the second wife voice their different points of view as events proceed and the crisis finally gets resolved. The language of the film is Hamar, and is translated by subtitles. There is no need for extra commentary from the filmmakers, whose presence and close relationship to the people are always evident.

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