Dutch Ethnographic Films

23 – 25 May 2011

Brechtje BOEKE, Enduring Life (2008)
Student film, 37 minutes.

The Oostveen family lives in a quiet and peaceful street, in the same house where they have lived for 40 years and hope to stay for many more. The man of the house is 89 years old, his wife is two years younger and they have four sons. The eldest son, Rinus, is 57 years old and still lives with his parents. Their days follow specific routines. In this way, for better or for worse, they entertain and take care of themselves and each other. For example, they are concerned with the preparations for their evening meal during the entire day. Each of them has a specific role in the household. Outside the house, their activities follow patterns that are equally tight. All of this offers them great comfort.

Brechtje Boeke (1984) is a Cultural Anthropology and Development Sociology graduate at the University of Leiden in the Netherlands. In 2006, she finished the first Visual Ethnography course that resulted in the film “Abdi, de kleermaker” (“Abdi, the tailor”, 10 minutes). The second course produced her film “Dagelijkse kost” (“Enduring life”, 37 minutes). For her master research Boeke performed research in Ghana and produced the documentary “Insuring the Nation” (45 minutes), about the introduction of a health insurance system.

Dirk NIJLAND, Tobelo Marriage (1985)
110 minutes.

This dramatic documentary chronicles a remarkable marriage ritual on one of the Moluccan islands of Halmahera in eastern Indonesia. The ritual includes a large-scale exchange of valuables that requires highly diplomatic negotiations, numerous ceremonies, and lengthy preparatory activities. Then there are the unexpected complications from the early delopement of bride and groom. All of the film was shot in the remote village of Paca in the Moluccas. It is a fascinating look at the ritualistic nature of marriage and family in the Moluccas and at how conflict is managed and negotiated. Striking in the film is its depiction of role of extended family in the marriage ritual, how the bride and groom are the collective offspring ‘our child’ of the larger family group. Equally interesting is the depiction of payment for the privilege of marriage.

Dirk Nijland (1938) is anthropologist, filmmaker and the establisher of the “School of Ethnographic Filmmaking” at the Institute of Cultural Anthropology and Development Sociology at Leiden University. He taught Visual Anthropology and Ethnographic Filmmaking from 1974 till 1999 and produced several price-winning ethnographic documentaries. Beside “Tobelo Marriage” (1985) – together with Jos Platenkamp –, he made “Sacrifice of Serpents” (1996) – together with Balgopal Shrestha and Bert van den Hoek – and “Ashes of Life, the Annual Rituals of Lamboya, Sumba” (2002-4), together with Danielle Geirnaert and Erik de Maaker.

Joost VAN DER VALK, Saving Africa’s Witch Childeren (2009)
50 minutes.

In some of the poorest parts of Nigeria, where evangelical religious fervour is combined with a belief in sorcery and black magic, many thousands of children are being blamed for catastrophes, death and famine, and branded witches. Denounced as Satan made flesh by powerful pastors and prophetesses, these children are abandoned, tortured, starved and murdered, all in the name of Jesus Christ. “Saving Africa’s Witch Children” follows the work of one Englishman, Gary Foxcroft, who has devoted his life to helping these desperate and vulnerable children. After meeting Gary Foxcroft of Stepping Stones Nigeria, Red Rebel Films Productions realized there was no time to waste. Knowing this film had to be made, they went to the Niger Delta without a commission and spent three weeks filming in this dangerous area, such was their belief that this was a horror that desperately had to be told to the world and stopped. This film together with CRARN and Stepping Stones’s work has resulted in the Child Rights Act being enacted in Akwa Ibom. It is now illegal to stigmatise a child as a witch, and many abusive preachers have been arrested.
Winner of the British Academy Award (BAFTA) for Best Current Affairs Programme 2009, the Amnesty Media Award for Best Documentary 2009, the World Children’s Rights Award 2009, the International Emmy for Best Current Affairs Programme 2009, the Rory Peck Trust Sony Professional Impact Award 2009, and the Sandford St Martin Trust Religious Award 2009. Nomination: Royal Television Society Award for Best Educational Primetime Programming, 2009. (see: http://redrebelfilms.com/live/).

Metje POSTMA, Voices in the Desert – The Rashaayda and Fuzum (2005)
73 minutes.

In “Voices in the desert”, we follow Fuzum who is the coordinator of a small local NGO called Solidarity Committee in Eritrea. He is advocating for some 10.000 Sudanese Rashaayda refugees. They are staying in two refugee-camps in Eritrea, but many are also still staying in no man´s land, waiting to receive food aid.
The documentary aims at showing the situation the Rashaayda are in, due to a conflict with the Sudanese government and environmental factors. It also shows the complexity of helping a nomadic group, whose position remains unclear to the international aid organisations and who have few people to advocate for them. The leader, who is there, also has his own agenda. The film was used to advocate for the Rashaayda refugees with International Aid organisations and in diplomatic circles, to draw attention to their situation.

Metje Postma (1958) specialised in Visual Ethnography with Prof. Adrian Gerbrands and Dr. Dirk Nijland at the Department of Cultural Anthropology and Development Sociology at Leiden University. She was assigned as part time lecturer in Visual Ethnography in 1989 and is teaching there till this day. Since 1991 she has also been teaching ethnographic film courses internationally. She produced several ethnographic documentaries. “Por que se van?” (1985, 58 minutes, 16 mm), “Of Men and Mares”, (1998, 90 minutes, 16 mm).

Sjoerd VAN GROOTHEEST, Vasile Nedea (2009)
Student film, 43 minutes.

Tells the story of Vasile Nedea, a Romanian gypsy musician in Amsterdam. While traveling through Western Europe there have been times in which he was forced to show his skills whilst busking in the streets. However, his extraordinary talent has not remained unacknowledged, as he is currently playing in the most famous concert halls of the Netherlands and Western Europe. The film takes the audience on a journey through the diverse musical worlds of Vasile Nedea during a transitional period on his road to success.

Sjoerd van Grootheest did his Bachelor in Cultural Anthropology at the University of Amsterdam from 2005-2009 and is presently doing his Masters in Visual Anthropology at the University of Kwa-Zulu Natal in Durham with Professor Keyan Tomaselli. At the 11th RAI Ethnographic Film Festival 2009 in Leeds (UK), he received a commendation – as a full competitor – for his film “Vasile Nedea”. The commendation was awarded in the category Intangible Culture Film Prize (Music, Dance, Performance). Van Grootheest made the film in the context of the Bachelor programme Visual Ethnography at the Institute of Cultural Anthropology and Development Sociology at Leiden University, which includes subjects as Visual Methods and Ethnographic Film making.

Steef MEYKNECHT, Tobacco, Truths and Rummicub (2010)
93 minutes.

For over a year, in 2009-2010, Steef Meyknecht followed four stories in the neighborhood of Nieuwland, Schiedam (The Netherlands): the sixth form of the Islamic primary school Ababil, Riet's Rummikub club, Uli's tobacco store and Ferry, the local policeman. Together the stories form a meaningful portrait of this deprived urban area. Social and political issues take on a human face. Ms Kevser Ozen prepares her class for the entrance exam. The Dutch language is a big hindrance. Tobacco shop owner Uli Schenkers is trying to make his dream come true: his own tobacco shop. Kids like to hang out at Uli's and elderly people feel at home in the shop. At Riet's Rummikub club, the elderly ladies talk about their lives and the changes in their neighbourhood. Local policeman Ferry Lockhorst can be seen anywhere: visiting lonely people, discovering well-hidden weed plantations and visiting Uli, the tobacconist, not only when there are complaints but also because he cannot give up smoking.

Steef Meyknecht (1951) is an independent documentary filmmaker and is a part time lecturer in Visual Ethnography at the department of Cultural Anthropology of Leiden University. Observational documentary cinema is his main focus of interest. His work has been screened by different Dutch public television stations. The documentaries have been selected for various festivals, such as: Cinéma du Reél, Paris; Festival di Populi, Florence; Moscow Documentary Film Festival; RAI Film Festival, Manchester. As a freelance photographer Steef Meyknecht realizes assignments for various Dutch institutions.