The seminar will be an informal gathering of 6-8 invited documentary
filmmakers and an equal number of postgraduate students. Our
aim is to explore the creative aspects of cross-cultural documentary,
which we feel are all too often displaced in public discussion
by an undue focus on film content and the social, historical
and industrial dimensions of documentary filmmaking. We wish
instead to discuss some of the principles that guide the creative
choices made by documentary filmmakers working in cross-cultural
contexts, from the moment of filming through the process of
editing. The format of the seminar will provide for the screening
of one film each day, followed by intensive discussions with
the filmmaker about the intentions and decisions that went into
the making of it. We hope to investigate such topics as nuances
of framing, sound, rhythm, and language, among many others.
A documentary film is a cross-cultural work when
it cuts across differing perspectives of ethnicity, culture,
class, age or any of a number of other human categories. Most
frequently, the juxtaposition is between the different backgrounds
of the filmmaker and the people filmed. Cross-cultural documentaries
raise specific questions for filmmakers that are not encountered
in other forms of nonfiction filmmaking. Issues of cultural
bias, cultural understanding, ethics, aesthetics, and interpretation
will thus be among the topics taken up at the seminar.
The seminar will be convened by David and Judith
MacDougall, who have both worked extensively in ethnographic
and documentary cinema. Their many films include The Wedding
Camels, Takeover, Photo Wallahs, Tempus
de Baristas, Diya, and the films of the recent
Doon School series. David MacDougall is the author of Transcultural
Cinema (Princeton University Press, 1998) and the forthcoming
The Corporeal Image: Film, Ethnography, and the Senses.
Postgraduate students interested in participating
are requested to apply using the PDF
application form. Priority will be given to applicants who
have some relevant filmmaking experience or are currently involved
in cross-cultural documentary projects. There will be a fee
of $250 charged for the seminar. Students are encouraged to
apply to their home departments for assistance in covering this
cost. Students will be responsible for their own travel, accommodation,
and living expenses. The University has residential colleges
and other types of accommodation available, depending on tastes
and budget. For further information, the following website may
be useful: http://accom.anu.edu.au Applicants accepted for the
seminar will be informed by 5 August 2005. The deadline for
applications is 22 July 2005.
You will need Adobe
Acrobat to view and print the application form.
xtra Information
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Contact us
Suzanne Groves, Reception
Centre for Cross Cultural Research
Australian National University
Liversidge Street, Acton
T: (02) 6125 2434
F: (02) 6248 0054
E: ccr.admin@anu.edu.au
