Paper short abstract:

In this paper I address the complexities of Jean Rouch's film, Moi, un Noir (1958), and attempt to assess the way in which Rouch may be considered as a mediator, fighting against colonial representation, or as a cog in the colonial machine.

Paper long abstract:

This paper explores Moi, un Noir (1958) in relation to early moves towards participatory filmmaking in anthropology, and in turn, attempts to address the ways in which Rouch’s pioneering filmic techniques may aid or hinder our cultural understandings and attempts for racial/ethnic equality. Drawing on the works of Trinh T. Minh-ha and Ousmane Sembène, I assess Rouch’s positioning in the filming process, and note the ways in which this may represent either a more contemporary approach, one which magnifies the voices of those under colonialist or racist rule, or whether his work reaffirms such colonial power dynamics through his positioning and entanglement within the twilight years of the French Empire, and as director of the films. As such, I open this analysis up to wider concerns, of how anthropology in the current era can more aptly move away from damaging power dynamics and productions of knowledge through film.