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Film2


Filming advocacy and negotiation of cultural change 
Convenor:
Susanne Hammacher (Übersee-Museum Bremen)
Discussant:
Peter Biella (San Francisco State University)
Formats:
Films
Location:
BP Lecture Theatre
Start time:
10 June, 2012 at
Time zone: Europe/London
Session slots:
1

Short Abstract:

Unity through Culture (Winner of the Intangible Culture Film Prize 2011) By Ton Otto and Christian Suhr (58 mins, 2011; an abbreviated version of aprox. 45 mins will be screened at this occasion) Soanin Killangit is determined to unite the people and attract international tourism through the revival of culture on Baluan Island in the South Pacific. He organizes the largest cultural festival ever held on the island. But some traditional leaders argue that Baluan never had culture. Culture comes from the white man and is now destroying their old tradition. Others, however, take the festival as a welcome opportunity to revolt against '70 years of cultural oppression' by Christianity. A struggle to define the past, present and future of Baluan culture erupts to the sound of thundering log drum rhythms. and The Chairman and the Lions Peter Biella, 46 mins (2012) World Premiere The Maasai leader of a Tanzanian village battles many lions that threaten his community - shyster lawyers, land grabbers, exploitative contracts, migration, and lack of education. Chairman Frank Ikoyo provides a glimpse into the current world of Maasai - full of cattle and ritual but also burdened with problems that traditional practices cannot overcome. Frank advocates education as the most necessary step toward self-determination in his village, despite the fact that it can produce "educated criminals." The film depicts vignettes of Frank's duties as Chairman - persuading women to send their daughters to school, interrogating spies in a law case against the legitimacy of his village. Frank also elicits the help of a renowned elder to train young warriors in the art of lion hunting.