THE WORKSHOP
How can anthropology enrich documentary film practice? The Workshop will build on the fundamentals of anthropological research (fieldwork and participant-observation) to help develop an ethical and rewarding documentary film practice. It will explore the different ways in which ethnographic filmmaking diverges from traditional documentary film. Additional discussion topics will include best practices concerning the ethics of representation, working with underrepresented and marginalised communities, navigating power hierarchies in fieldwork and filmmaking, and sharing ownership and acclaim with our interlocutors.
ABOUT THE TRAINER
Harjant Gill is an award-winning documentary filmmaker and visual anthropologist, whose work explores the intersections of gender, sexuality, religion, citizenship, transnationality and notions of belonging, with a particular focus on Indian and diasporic masculinities. His films have screened at film festivals, academic conferences and on television, including BBC, Doordarshan and PBS. Born and raised in Chandigarh, Dr. Gill studied film and anthropology at San Francisco before pursuing his PhD at American University. He is an associate professor at Towson University in Washington DC. Funded by the Performing Arts Fellowship by the American Institute of Indian Studies and the Fulbright-Nehru Research Award, Dr. Gill is currently developing an eight-part immersive virtual reality web-series on Indian masculinities – Tales from Macholand.