Experimental Ethnography in Cinema and Writing
About this Event
Experimental ethnography is a critical, interdisciplinary approach to studying culture that challenges traditional, objective scientific methods. By integrating avant-garde techniques—such as surrealism, montage, and sensory immersion—into writing and cinema, it prioritizes reflexivity, emotional resonance, and collaborative representation over detached observation.
Breaking away from "fly-on-the-wall" observational documentaries, experimental ethnographic film treats the cinematic apparatus itself as a tool for discovery and cultural critique. Filmmakers utilize non-narrative, long-take aesthetics to convey haptic and emotional truths of human existence. Pioneered by filmmakers like Jean Rouch in Chronique d'un Été (1961), this method blends documentary and fiction by asking subjects to actively improvise and perform their own life experiences.
Similarly, written experimental ethnography subverts the traditional, authoritative "expository" voice of classic anthropology. Scholars turn the lens on themselves, merging personal narrative, memoir, and cultural critique to reflect on broader socio-political phenomena. Writers incorporate non-linear storytelling, poetry, found texts, and multiple, conflicting perspectives to better capture the chaotic, shifting realities of modern, multicultural societies. Researchers increasingly design texts as multi-platform media, intertwining digital artifacts, soundscapes, and visual poetry with written analysis.
Dr Barbara Knorpp is a visual anthropologist with a special interest in film history and is based in London. She teaches at Open City Docs, UCL and Central Saint Martins, University of the Arts.
This event is part of the Anthropology Summer School London held near Victoria Park, Hackney and online. More info on our events and courses: [email protected]
Where is it happening?
Event Location & Nearby Stays:
GBP 60.00 to GBP 80.00
