Anthropology
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IN THE SHADOW OF THE SUNAfrican Studies Health Anthropology 2014
Like many instances of discrimination faced by people with disabilities around the world, the troubling escalation of violence against people with Albinism in Tanzania has been fueled by societal prejudices, lack of education and deep-rooted superstition. In The Shadow of the Sun follows the efforts of two individuals who are risking their lives to combat this virulent prejudice.
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PEOPLE'S PARKAnthropology Asian Studies Cinema Studies Cultural Studies 2014 Sensory Ethnography Lab Directed by Women
Produced at Harvard's groundbreaking Sensory Ethnography Lab (Sweetgrass, Leviathan, the upcoming Manakamana), People's Park is an exhilarating single shot documentary that immerses viewers in an unbroken journey through an urban park in Chengdu, Sichuan Province, offering a fresh gaze on public interaction, leisure and self-expression in China.
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VIRAMUNDO: a musical journey with gilberto gilMusic Anthropology 2013 Indigenous Studies Latin-American Studies
After decades of sold out shows and international recognition, musician Gilberto Gil embarks on a new kind of world tour. Traveling from Brazil to Australia and Africa, where he meets with local indigenous communities, Gil continues the work he began as Brazil's first black Minister of Culture - promoting the power of cultural diversity in a globalized world and sharing his vision for the future: a diverse, interconnected planet filled with hope, exchange… and of course music!
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F*CK FOR FORESTEnvironmental Studies Anthropology Human Sexuality Media Studies 2013
A compelling, thought-provoking documentary, F*ck for Forest explores a unique form of modern environmental activism where sexual liberation merges with global altruism. This critically acclaimed film follows several members of the eponymous organization as they raise money for struggling indigenous tribes in the Amazon by distributing home-made erotic films on the internet.
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NOWA CUMIG: THE DRUM WILL NEVER STOPEnvironmental Studies Native American Studies Anthropology American Studies 2013 Directed by Women
Featuring extensive interviews, rare photographs and archival footage, this is a fascinating, candid portrait of Dennis Banks ("Nowa Cumig" in Ojibwe), co-founder of the American Indian Movement. The film chronicles the history of the American Indian Movement, from the Custer Trail to Wounded Knee to the Longest Walk.
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SURVIVAL PRAYEREnvironmental Studies Native American Studies Anthropology 2013 Indigenous Studies
On a remote archipelago in the Pacific Northwest, an uncommon abundance of animal and vegetable life has sustained the Haida people for countless generations. Following traditional food harvesters as they gather and prepare for the winter, Survival Prayer is an intimate ethnographic portrait of an indigenous community and the conditions - environmental and man-made - that threaten their way of life.
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LEVIATHANAnthropology Cinema Studies Environmental Studies Labor Studies 2013 Sensory Ethnography Lab Directed by Women
One of the most critically-acclaimed documentaries in recent years, Leviathan is a groundbreaking, immersive portrait of the contemporary commercial fishing industry. Directed by the award-winning filmmakers of Sweetgrass and Foreign Parts, Leviathan is a purely visceral, cinematic experience.
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THE YOUNG ANCESTORSNative American Studies Anthropology Sociology American Studies 2013 Directed by Women
The Young Ancestors explores the growing movement within American Indian communities to revitalize their native languages before they become extinct. An inspiring documentary, it follows a group of teenagers, who as part of a pilot program created by the Indigenous Language Institute, are learning their native language for the first time.
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RESTORING THE LIGHTAnthropology Asian Studies Disabilities Health Economics Cultural Studies Children & Young Adult 2013 Medicine Directed by Women
A heart-wrenching documentary, Restoring the Light observes the work of a dedicated ophthalmologist who operates a non-profit mobile eye clinic in one of China's poorest regions, as well as the lives of his patients. It captures the adversities and hopes of a population that has been left behind in the wake of China's dizzying economic boom.
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WAVUMBA: THEY WHO SMELL OF FISHAnthropology Indigenous Studies African Studies Environmental Studies Cultural Studies Religion & Spirituality Literature Aging / Gerontology 2013
A gorgeously filmed ethnographic portrait of an elderly Kenyan shark fisherman who has a primeval bond with the ocean and its creatures, Wavumba: They Who Smell of Fish delivers an enchanting depiction of Africa's storytelling tradition, where fantasy, dreams, belief and reality blend.
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CANICULAAnthropology Latin-American Studies Indigenous Studies 2012
An engrossing ethnographic work, Canícula is a study of the rich cultural heritage and traditions of the Totonac people of Veracruz, Mexico, who have resided in this region for thousands of years. Beautifully photographed, this documentary features rare footage of the Totonac's "voladores" ritual ("the flying dance"), named an Intangible Cultural Heritage by UNESCO.
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OUR SUMMER IN TEHRANAnthropology Middle Eastern Studies Sociology Islamic Studies Women's Studies 2012 Directed by Women
In her Oscar nominated documentary Promises, filmmaker Justine Shapiro took us into the lives of Palestinian and Israeli children in and around Jerusalem. Her new documentary, Our Summer in Tehran, transports us into the seldom seen realm of middle class family life in Iran, transcending overt politics for a perspective Western media has little interest in showing.
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SUN, MOON, STARS: INDONESIA TRILOGYSoutheast Asian Studies Anthropology Cultural Studies Political Science Islamic Studies Religion & Spirituality Sociology Asian Studies 2012
A landmark documentary trilogy, Sun, Moon, Stars captures the tumultuous changes taking place in Indonesia by following three generations of a single Jakarta family for over a decade. Directed by acclaimed filmmaker Leonard Retel Helmrich, it offers an unparalleled, vibrant portrait of the world's fourth most populous nation; and home to the largest Muslim community.
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POSITION AMONG THE STARSSoutheast Asian Studies Anthropology Cultural Studies Political Science Islamic Studies Religion & Spirituality Sociology Asian Studies 2012
For over a decade, noted filmmaker Leonard Retel Helmrich followed the lives of an Indonesian family in Jakarta. In this final film of his acclaimed Sun, Moon, Stars trilogy, Helmrich confronts the most important issues facing the country's fast-changing society: corruption, conflict between religions, gambling addiction, the generation gap, and the widening disparity between rich and poor.
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SHAPE OF THE MOONSoutheast Asian Studies Anthropology Cultural Studies Political Science Islamic Studies Religion & Spirituality Sociology Asian Studies 2012
The end of the Suharto regime ushered in an era of rapid sociopolitical upheaval in Indonesia. In this second installment of the Sun, Moon, Stars trilogy, filmmaker Leonard Retel Helmrich returns to the Sjamsuddin family to intimately capture the changes taking place in their country, including the troubling rise of Islamic fundamentalism.
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THE EYE OF THE DAYSoutheast Asian Studies Anthropology Cultural Studies Political Science Islamic Studies Religion & Spirituality Sociology Asian Studies 2012
Against a backdrop of social unrest that led to the ouster of Indonesia's long-time dictator President Suharto,
The Eye of the Day begins filmmaker Leonard Retel Helmrich's award-winning trilogy Sun, Moon, Stars.
It introduces us to an ordinary family living in the slums of Jakarta; a family Helmrich would return to and document
for more than a decade.
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ROTHSTEIN’S FIRST ASSIGNMENTPhotography Health American Studies Anthropology Art History 2011
When FSA photographer Arthur Rothstein came to Virginia in 1935, his assignment was to photograph local residents displaced by Shenandoah National Park. But as this documentary uncovers, Rothstein would play a role in the forced institutionalization and sterilization of many of the area's residents, establishing a disturbing connection between the American eugenics movement and Depression-era documentary work.
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AL-HALQA – IN THE STORYTELLER’S CIRCLEAnthropology Cultural Studies Literature Performing Arts Islamic Studies 2011
For centuries, Marrakech's historic Djemaa el-Fna square has been home to the world's greatest storytellers; their craft even recognized by UNESCO as an "Intangible Heritage of Humanity." This wonderful documentary examines this age-old tradition and considers its place in the modern world.
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THE DESERT OF FORBIDDEN ARTArt History Russia Eastern Europe Anthropology Cultural Studies Islamic Studies 2010 Directed by Women
The incredible story of how a treasure trove of banned Soviet art worth millions of dollars was found in the desert of Uzbekistan develops into a larger exploration of how art survives in times of oppression. A fascinating documentary about a group of visionary artists and one man who risked his life to rescue their work.
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LANDSAnthropology Cultural Studies Environmental Studies Latin-American Studies Sociology 2010 Directed by Women
Deep in the Amazon rainforest, three cities form a unique triple border between three South American countries: Brazil, Colombia and Peru. Beautifully photographed, Lands examines the impact of borders, commerce and urbanization on the lives of the local and indigenous population as well as the surrounding ecology.
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