The problems involved in the use of film by anthropologists

This paper explores the problems involved in the use of film by anthropologists as a means of portraying the social customs and experiences of a people. A discussion of fictional film versus scientific documentary is presented. Three ethnological films are examined to demonstrate the ineffectiveness of this method. The conclusion is drawn that a filmmaker must make a choice between "telling a story" and conducting true scientific research. 

 "One of the first considerations for the anthropological filmmaker is who their audience will be. In general, an anthropological writer will have their work published in a professional journal or book, which is intended to be read by other professionals. With the film, however, they can be released for a general audience who is not familiar with the terms and techniques of anthropology. The presentation of the information must therefore be in a format that the lay person will understand. It must also hold their attention, therefore some consideration must be given to character development and plot, yet at the same time, this must be done without losing accuracy. Often, films about "exotic" people are made by people with no anthropological background. In the film "Dead Birds" shot among the Dani tribe of New Guinea, its maker Robert Gardner hinges on becoming a scientific fantasy (Ruby, 1991). The film was shot in a very artistic manner, which at times tended to sway the opinion of the viewer about what the persons were doing. The filmmaker can choose to show or not show certain elements, which skew the impressions of the viewer. This same problem exists in written anthropological works. The writer can choose to include or not include certain elements, which are key to understanding the actions of the people presented, therefore the work becomes an interpretation of how the anthropologist feels about the people and not a true work of scientific documentation."

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