Chronicle of a Summer Essay Example for Free

Chronicle of a Summer Essay Ethnofiction is a term that is used to provide a new contemporary sound to an older terminology (neologism) particularly dealing with docufiction (a term coined from the combination of the words documentary and fiction film). In visual anthropology, ethnofiction refers to ethnography or the genre of writings which gives an elucidating study or point of view regarding human societies. Predominantly, the results of the holistic research method are presented by ethnography and can be used in ethnofiction. In addition to this, ethnofiction also consists of both formal and historical connections. A lot of cultural anthropologists and ethnologists are using ethnofiction in their works and consider it as the essence of discipline. Jean Rouch, the most renowned ethnologists, specifically considered as the â€Å"father of ethnofiction† was able to understand and discover that in making events which are registered by the camera. Consequently, the camera in this scenario or scene becomes a participant. Due to practice, research and documentaries are lavished with the idea of using cameras. This is in accordance to Rouch’s aim of furthering his goals, objectives and introduction of the actor as a tool in the film or in Rouch’s research. According to Brian Quist, through Jean Rouch â€Å"a new genre (of filmmaking) was born†. Jean Rouch is an innovative French director who definitely fathered the movement called cinema-verite. Jean Rouch’s style of filmmaking is a spontaneous one that blurred between or consists of educational, ethnographic and fiction film. Rouch filmed in many West African countries where he was able to train and support actors, cameramen, technicians and directors. One of his apprentices was Safi Faye. The African filmmakers that Jean Rouch promoted did not in the end become avant-garde cinema-verite directors, largely because they could not afford to take ten or twenty hours of rushes to produce a 45-minute feature, but he may have had an effect in other ways. When he set out to produce history he adopted a version of ethnographic realism. In 1975 he filmed a story situated in the late 19th century, â€Å"Babatou† , â€Å"les trios conseils†, with a crew of technicians from Niger and on the basis of a script written by the historian Boubou Hama. Following his work habits, he developed only minimally the dialogue, which the actors fleshed out by improvisation on location. The team travelled around to find a suitable location. The problem was to find places that had not changed in a hundred years, without corrugated metal roofs or plastic containers. Without further safeguards this solution is illusory, because the sun-baked clay houses of the savannah rarely survive one hundred years and what appears old now may be an environment radically transformed during the colonial period. Jean Rouch’s search still reveals more concern for historical authenticity, compared to the shortcuts that Kabore takes, but is inspired by the same supposition that in Africa the actual looks like the historical once you remove from it what is ostensibly European origin (Bickford-Smith and Mendelsohn 20). Jean Rouch’s aesthetic is guided by the effort to produce ethnographic estrangement. Rouch celebrated film â€Å"Les Maitres fous† (1955), filmed in Ghana among migrant workers from Niger who undergo a possession ritual, is very much a display of radical difference, even if recorded with humor and respect. As such, it goes very much against the grain of how most West African intellectuals would like to see their cultural heritage presented to outsiders, the main reason, I think, why many of them do not like Rouch’s films. West African films look different and show the culture in a different way. There are statelier in rhythm and style and less adventurous in form. They also present their characters as likeable and not wild. â€Å"Cinema-verite† is translated as â€Å"Film truth† in French. Cinema-verite is as style of filmmaking that uses the camera as a protagonist, as a catalyst for action (Kahn 185). In addition to this, it is derived from Dziga Vertov’s â€Å"Kino-pravda† a documentary film series in the Soviet Union of the 1920s, wherein it was important that the film audience realized it was watching a film, not reality. The term was coined by Jean Rouch together with the help of Edgar Morin while making â€Å"Chronique d’un ete† (1961) with newly developed, portable cameras and Nagra sound recorders. In this film interview, subjects of Rouch and Morin get to watch and comment on footage of themselves. The term â€Å"cinema-verite† also implies that the filmmakers try to avoid manipulating documentary truth, but it has often been confused with â€Å"Direct Cinema† which is a movement which emphasized â€Å"objectivity† over â€Å"reflexivity of cinema-verite†. The term â€Å"verite† is used in Hollywood to denote a style of shooting to achieve the effects of veracity and immediacy or the jerky, hand-held camera and grainy out-of-focus texture (Barnard et al. 377). In the early 1960s, technical advances made it possible for small crews to produce synchronous-sound location films. The equipment encouraged some filmmakers to record actions and events as detached observers, naively assuming that they were not significantly influencing the actions being followed. The so-called American direct cinema of Richard Leacock, Robert Drew, the Maysles brothers (Albert and David), and the others helped to define this kind of documentary. Eventually, it led to what is known today as observational-style film, which became so attractive for some ethnographic filmmakers (Ruby 12). Jean Rouch on the other hand, having founded the cinema-verite, obviously adopts the opposite approach unlike the previously mentioned ethnographers of filmmakers. Jean Rouch aim in cinema-verite is to have the subjects reveal their culture. The use of the camera as a character in the films he made was due to the fact that he felt that the presence of the camera could provoke a cine trance for his subjects. In â€Å"Chronicle of a Summer† (1961), the filmmakers combined the ideas they have borrowed from Flaherty with those of Soviet film theorist and practitioner Dziga Vertov. Rouch brought the cameras and his filmmaking style into Paris streets for impromptu encounters in which the filmmaking process was often a part of the film, with filmmakers and equipment in frame. Consequently, the actions of Jean Rouch and his works lead to an immediate notice or significant influence to the films of French New Wave directors such as Jean-Luc Godard and Chris marker, whose film â€Å"Le Foli Mai† is a direct response to â€Å"Chronicle of a Summer†. Rouch’s influence in the United States was not immediate unlike that of the France because so few of his films were accessible (Ruby 12). Rouch has persistently continued with his style and to develop his collaborative approach over a forty-year period in a number of films made with West Africans. Some criticized certain early efforts, Such as â€Å"Les Maitres Fous† (1955), as ethnocentric because of an assumed overemphasis on the bizarre, but others celebrated it as definitive surrealist film (Ruby 5). However, his intentions was to produce a â€Å"shared anthropology† in which those in front of the camera shared the power with the director. This idea reached an apex with his so-called ethnographic science fiction films, such as â€Å"Petit a Petit† (1968), â€Å"Cocorico†, â€Å"Monsieur Poulet† (1983) and â€Å"Madame l’Eau† (1992). Rouch is not alone in France in his adventurous experiments in collaboration. In 1964, George Rouqier produced a film about a year in life on a farm as lived by his relatives. In his film, the subjects were asked to enact their lives which is kind of ethnodocudrama. Although it was screened at the 1947 Venice Film Festival as a French form of neorealism, it has been virtually ignored by the United States anthropologists. Jean Rouch is also not alone when it comes to his interests in pushing the limits of documentary realism. For example, the United States anthropologist Robert Ascher experimented with drawing directly on film to produce a â€Å"cameraless† interpretation of a myth which is considered to be a technique found in experimental art films. As with Rouch, his efforts have been ignored. Stoller contends that Jean Rouch is a premature postmodernist. However, it should be considered that Rouch’s work in multivocality and reflexivity has been ignored by the so-called crisis of representation and writing culture folks. Their lack of understanding of Rouch’s many contributions to the postmodern debates that have obsessed anthropology in recent years perhaps the best example of how marginalized ethnographic film is to the mainstream of cultural anthropology. Other anthropologists who disagree with Rouch’s filmmaking style and contributions simply do not see his work as contributing to their interests (Ruby 13). From his works and style in enthnofiction, as observed in his â€Å"Chronicle of a Summer†, a certain concept of ethnofiction can be identified. However, before reaching that fruitful conclusion or concept, Jean Rouch had to perform several tests or experiments in filmmaking, particularly exploring the subject matter or aspects of ethnofiction. Based from his works and experiments, five characteristics can be deduced. First, is the â€Å"thorough ethnographical research† (Quist 9) which can be observed in his films such as â€Å"Les maitres fous† and Batille Sur Le Grand Fleuve†. Second, ethnofiction consists of â€Å"truthful circumstances and accurate documentation† (Quiest 9). Third, ethnofiction â€Å"utilizes the cinema’s need for story as well as dramatic curve† (Quiest 9) which can be observed in Jean Rouch films such as â€Å"The Lion Hunters†. Fourth is the characteristic, on Rouch’s term, â€Å"cine-trance† which have been previously mentioned or discussed. Commonly, â€Å"cine-trance† is referred to as â€Å"improvisation†. The fifth characteristic of ethnofiction, and probably the most important part of the films and considerations of Jean Rouch is â€Å"participant reaction† which can be observed in â€Å"Chronicle of a Summer† (Quist 9). After the establishment of the five characteristics of ethnofiction, there was a need for Jean Rouch to develop a single film that would encompass all these five characteristics of ethnofiction. Jean Rouch pursued an ethnofiction film that would incorporate all these characteristics. The film noted in Quist analysis is â€Å"Jaguar† which was completed and released in 1967. This film became the classic example for ethnofiction film because it encompassed or included all the five characteristics of ethnofiction perfectly. This comprehensive ethnofiction film instantly gained fame and became renowned not only in Africa but also to film festivals worldwide (Quist 10). Jean Rouch’s perseverance however does not stop at the success of â€Å"Jaguar†. He continued honing his skills until the five characteristics of ethnofiction became very familiar with him and his films. He continuously endeavoured in order to improve the cinema-verite which he and Morison founded. He also continued making films to influence other filmmakers and to introduce different or varieties of culture from the point of view of its subjects. Jean Rouch’s perseverance, efforts and success are really remarkable that he definitely lives to the expectations of those who look up to him. His influences and his contributions to the filmmaking industry really justifies Jean Rouch as â€Å"father of ethnofiction†. Works Cited Barnard, Tim, Timothy Barnard, and Peter Rist. South American Cinema: A Critical Filmography, 1915-1994. USA: First University of Texas Press Printing, 1996. Bickford-Smith, Vivian, and Richard Mendelsohn. Black and White in Colour: African History on Screen. UK: James Currey Ltd, 2007. Kahn, Hillary E. Seeing and Being Seen: The Qeqchi Maya of Livingston, Guatemala, and Beyond. USA: The University of Texas Press, 2006. Quist, Brian. Jean Rouch and the Genesis of Ethnofiction. Long Island University. Ruby, Jay. Picturing Culture: Explorations of Film and Anthropology. USA: The University of Chicago, 2000.

Fight Club :: essays research papers

Hey Dave How about relating them to fight club by talking about the underside to consumerism e.g. there's consumption but then there's waste. Here's some suggestions:- * Commodities - judge yourself on what you own not who you are - the ikea thing as the space he inhabits and his identity is owned by the catalogue * Waste - 1) the fat they steal from that medical place 2) Tyler peeing in soup (can't remember whether that's book or film) Therefore, with consumer culture there's this constant cycle of consumption and waste. An interesting idea, though i'm ot sure that it's relevant is that Tyler acts as a representative between consumption and waste as he reuses it (the peeing and fat to make soap!!!) Cool huh? Anyway here's the link to Warhol!! Andy Warhol's work in fact turns centrally around commodification with the billboard images of Coca Cola or the Campbell's soup can. However, unlike earlier modernist artists whose work screams out meaning and depth of interpretation, Warhol's does not. Instead, Warhol offers a deathly quality to his art. The external coloured surface of his works when stripped away reveals the deathly black and white photographic negative . In a nut shell his work lacks depth as does the whole commodification issue in postmodern america underneath the glossy adverts and posters lies a blank. What something looks like is more important than what it means. Therefore, the link could be aesthetics over meaning. The narrator in Fight club confuses being with having due to advertisements (Warhol) as the self is founded on furniture and fashion. The commodity fetish is played out here and it is tyler that wants to remind the narrator about their bodies and themselves rather than what they own! In conclusion (lol) Warhol can be used as an example of commodification the glossy images that imitate the product but have no depth and are only about aesthetics what the product looks like and then fight club plays this out and shows the underside to it. Hope this helps And I am fine. Trying to plough my way through

North Korean Authoritative Government Essay

In this paper, I will attempt to explain why authoritarianism regimes such as the one in North Korea, still continues to govern even though the government is one of the more corrupted types of government still in existence today. The word authoritarianism is defined as, â€Å"a form of government in which the ruler is an absolute dictator (not restricted by a constitution or laws or opposition etc. )†(Word Net) There are currently many countries in our world that are not democratic societies. There are authoritarian regimes that still exist today. Probably one of the more well known authoritarian regimes is the government in North Korea. North Korea gained its independence from Japan in the year 1945. Kim Jong Il is currently the leader of North Korea. The mismanagement of economics through the 1990’s has made North Korea rely heavily on international aid to feed its population. North Korea has expanded their resources to help develop a military of about one million soldiers. Central Intelligence Agency) â€Å"North Korea’s long-range missile development, as well as its nuclear, chemical, and biological weapons programs and massive conventional armed forces, are of major concern to the international community. † (Central Intelligence Agency) The government in North Korea is a big part to blame for the economic struggles. In President Bush’s first State of the Union Speech he declared North Korea as part of the â€Å"Axis of Evil. † Presi dent Bush also went on to say his goal was, â€Å"†to prevent regimes that sponsor terror from threatening America or our friends with weapons of mass destruction. He singled out Iraq, Iran and North Korea, claiming these states â€Å"and their terrorist allies constitute an axis of evil arming to threaten the peace of the world. † (Fact Sheet) â€Å"The United States must act against these regimes by denying them the â€Å"materials, technology and expertise† to make nuclear, chemical and biological weapons and provide them to terrorists, Bush said. † (Fact Sheet) North Korea is currently a communist-state one-man dictatorship. Under a communist-state one-man dictatorship elections are held but there is nobody to run against the leader. For instance in September of 2003 there was an election held in North Korea. Kim Jong Il and Kim Yong Nam were the only nominees for the positions and nobody opposed them. (Central Intelligence Agency) The government controls the people. The government rules a lot of what the people of North Korea can do or say. For the executive branch in this country, Kim Jong Il has been the ruler since July of 1994. Kim Yong Nam is the president of its Presidium and he also has the responsibility of representing state and receiving diplomatic credentials. Central Intelligence Agency) As for the legislative branch, the ruling party approves a list of candidates who are elected without opposition, but some seats are held by minor parties. (Central Intelligence Agency) The judicial branch of North Korea consists of a central court, and the judges are elected by the Supreme People’s Assembly. The way this government is set up is very different than the way the democratic states are set up. In a democratic society the people get to vote for leaders and high ranking officials. While in these authoritarianistic regimes, the people have no say in who is going to run their country. There have been many North Koreans that have tried to escape either to China or South Korea. Few people have made it across the boarders safely. However, if they fail to escape and they are captured by the North Korean military they will be tortured or even executed in some cases. (Pearson Education) â€Å"North Korea, one of the world’s most secretive societies, has been accused of egregious human-rights violations, including summary executions, torture, inhumane conditions in prison camps, which hold up to 200,000 prisoners, and denial of freedom of expression and movement. Access to the country is strictly limited and North Korea’s domestic media is tightly controlled, making it difficult to substantiate the accusations. † (Pearson Education) I believe a huge part of why North Korea is actually still in existence is because the military has so much control on the people. Of course no country wants to start a war with North Korea because of their military strength and their nuclear weapons. â€Å"A number of stabilizing elements assist the regime’s efforts to maintain internal order. The society seems united in popular support for the party, and the people have a strong sense of national pride. Kim Il Sung, by all indications, truly is admired and supported by the general population. † (Federal Research Division Library of Congress: Pg 275) It is difficult for people that are from a democratic government to actually understand why authoritarianism governments work. Most all of the authoritarianism governments that I know have a strong following from their people. Whether the masses like the leader because he is helping the economy or helping a food shortage situation is another story. Personally I think these people in these countries are so afraid of what the leader might do to them or their family that they just do what they are told. Of course these people have never had it any other way. They don’t know what it is like to have a democracy. They don’t know what it is like to voice their opinion. The people in North Korea didn’t get to choose where they wanted to be born. If we had a free world I’m sure when some of those people realized that there are better governments in the world that won’t control your every move then they would leave the country. It is just not that easy for anyone to just get up and go to China or South Korea. People born into democratic societies should be thankful that they can enjoy the freedoms that they have, because there are other parts of the world where the idea of having rights is completely out of their control. There is no possible way the people can over throw the government in North Korea. North Korea has too strong of a military. One way the government will get overthrown is if it is done internally. The second way it will get overthrown is if they go to war with another country and they lose their power. â€Å"Indeed, research on Korean communism has become the pursuit of an avocation, meandering off the mainstream of contemporary social science. Most students of Korean communism have come under the influence, in varying degrees, of the lingering legacy of Kremlinology and the advancing model of Chinese studies. Following the general lines of development in Chinese studies in the 1960s and 1970s, research on Korean communism has shown an uneven advancement. On balance, research and knowledge concerning North Korea’s domestic politics and economy have developed more rapidly and significantly than the study of its foreign policy, which has remained neglected and underdeveloped. (Kim Pg:282) The economy in North Korea is struggling. Due to flooding and the lack of arable land, the people in North Korea are at a food shortage. Massive amounts of international food aid have allowed people of North Korea not to starve. Central Intelligence Agency) Mal-nutrition and poor living conditions still exist heavily in North Korea. As with everything else in the country, the government has the right to control the food and economic conditions. The religions that are practiced in this authoritarianism government are traditionally Buddhist and Confucianist, with some Christian and syncretic Chondogyo (Religion of the Heavenly Way. ) â€Å"Autonomous religions activities now are almost nonexistent; government sponsored religious groups exist to provide illusion of religious freedom. (Central Intelligence Agency) Like other authoritarianistic governments such as Cuba, Iran, Afghanistan, and Iraq until not to long ago, the regimes will last until somebody does something about it. The United States ended the authoritarianism regime in Iraq because we had enough military power to overtake Sadaam Hussein. The U. S. troops are still over in Iraq trying to force the Iraqi people into having a democracy. The Iraqi people that have voted so far on the new leader of their country is not a man that the United States wants to have them run their country. Sadaam Hussein would still be in power and have complete control of Iraq if the United States didn’t take him out of power. The military balance in South Korea is much stronger then North Korea. In case of another North Korean invasion, the South Korean military only has about 600,000 people while the north has around one million. However these numbers are misleading because of the fact that these numbers don’t include the superior training, equipment, and logistical support that the south has. Kang: Pg 262) â€Å"The South has outspent the North on defense in the last 15 years, if not longer. † (Kang: Pg 262) North Korea’s nuclear threats are a grave concern for South Korea and the rest of the world. The Soviets were building bombs in the 1950’s and China developed a nuclear bomb in the early 1960’s. North Korea didn’t start trying to assemble nuclear weapons until South Korea became a threat to them because they were overtaking North Korea in a lot of areas during the 1970’s. Kang: Pg 266) â€Å"North Korea’s significance to the world with a bomb is much greater than without a bomb. † (Kang: Pg 266)In conclusion, there are many reasons why the authoritarianism regime in North Korea is still up and running to this day. There is simply no way that anyone can overthrow the government unless it is done internally. The people located in these authoritarianism regimes usually like the leader, and agree to what he says. These people didn’t choose where they wanted to be born just like nobody in a democratic state had an opinion as to where they would like to be born. It is sad that most all of the money spent in North Korea is aimed toward building up a better military and not helping out with the economy or the food shortages. The only way these people know how to live is to be ruled by a dictator. Until the United States or some other world power takes down North Korea, the authoritarianism regime will continue to govern.

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