Memories of the Origins of Ethnographic Film

Ethnographic Film, which combines documentary filming and anthropological research, originated in the late 19th century. Early on, anthropologists used film to record cultures. Documentary filmmakers in the early 20th century developed different strategies, with technical developments aiding further advances. In the 1950s to 1970s, intense debates among anthropologists, filmmakers and artists, many of whom met regularly at conferences and festivals, took place on the methodology of ethnographic filmmaking. Their discussions were handed on by word of mouth, but rarely recorded or published. In 2001, the pioneers of ethnographic film met in Göttingen and put together their recollections of the genre’s Origins, thus giving an unusual insight into the development of ethnographic film.