Ethnofiction

Ethnofiction is a neologism which mainly refers to docufiction, a blend of documentary and fiction film. It’s used in visual anthropology as ethnography. Its object is not the individual but the ethnicity, excepting when the individual represents it.

Jean Rouch is considered to be the father of ethnofiction. Ethnologist, he soon discovers that, always interfering in the event which it registers (the ritual), the camera becomes participant. The exigency in research of a non-participating camera is a preconcept denied by practice. Going further in his attempts, Jean Rouch introduces the actor as a tool in research. A new genre was born. ("Jean Rouch and the Genesis of Ethnofiction" – thesis by Brian Quist ("Long Island University"). Robert Flaherty, «avant la lettre», may be seen as the grandfather of this genre.

Being mainly used to refer to films in the domain of ethnology as a branch of science, the term ethnofiction is as well adequate to refer to documentary films in the field of arts with meaningful tradition, preceding and following Rouch’s oeuvre. It may also be useful to designate any fictional creation with an ethnographical background.

Ethnofictions

CHRONOLOGY

years 20

* 1926 – " [http://us.imdb.com/title/tt0017162/ Moana] " by Robert Flaherty, EUA

years 30

* 1930 – " [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0021125/maindetails Maria do Mar] " by José Leitão de Barros, Portugal

* 1932 – " [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0203759/ L'or des mers] " by Jean Epstein, France

* 1934 – " [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0025456/ Man of Aran] " by Robert Flaherty, GB

* 1936 – " [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0022458/ Tabu] " by Robert Flaherty, EUA

years 40

* 1942 – " [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0034439/ Ala-Arriba!] " by [http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0500749/http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0500749/ Leitão de Barros] . Portugal

* 1948 – " [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0040550/ Louisiana Story] " by Robert Flaherty EUA

years 50

* 1955 : "Les Maîtres Fous" (The Mad Masters) bu Jean Rouch, France
* 1958 : " [http://www.diplomatie.gouv.fr/fr/actions-france_830/documentaire_1045/diffusion-non-commerciale_5378/offre-dvd_5373/grand-ecran_10336/hommage-jean-rouch_10341/pyramide-humaine_10796/index.html La pyramide humaine] " by Jean Rouch, France

years 60

* 1960 – " [http://www.diplomatie.gouv.fr/en/france-priorities_1/documentary_2312/non-commercial-distribution_2313/dvd-collection_2314/grand-ecran-big-screen_4428/tribute-to-jean-rouch_3220/moi-un-noir_3231/ Moi, un noir] " by Jean Rouch. France

* 1962 – " [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0056811/ Acto da Primavera] " by Manoel de Oliveira. Portugal

* 1963 – " [http://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pour_la_suite_du_monde Pour la suite du monde] " ("Of Whales, the Moon and Men") by [http://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pierre_Perrault Pierre Perrault] and [http://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michel_Brault Michel Brault] , Canada

* 1967 - " [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0286727/ Jaguar (film)] ", by Jean Rouch, France

years 70

* 1974 – " [http://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Les_Ordres Les Ordres] " by Michel Brault

* 1976 – "Gente da Praia da Vieira" by António Campos, Portugal
* 1976 – "Mau Tempo, Marés e Mudança" by Ricardo Costa. Portugal
* 1976 – "Trás-os-Montes (film)" by António Reis and Margarida Cordeiro. Portugal
* 1979 – "O Pão e o Vinho" by Ricardo Costa, Portugal

recent films

* 1988 – " [http://spot.pcc.edu/~mdembrow/mortu_nega.htm Mortu Nega] " by Flora Gomes, Guiné-Bissau
* 1997 – "Ossos" ("Bones") by Pedro Costa
* 2000 – "No Quarto da Vanda" ("In Vanda’s Room") by Pedro Costa
* 2002 – "City of God (film)" by Fernando Meirelles
* 2003 – "Terra Longe" by Daniel E. Thorbecke
* 2006 – "Colossal Youth (film)" by Pedro Costa
* 2007 – "Transfiction" " [http://www.centreforscreenstudies.manchester.ac.uk/transfiction.htm] " by Johannes Sjöberg

Ethnic portraits of local realities are often drawn in the Portuguese films of the sixties. The Cape Vert theme, as a typical expression of Africa, steps into the lime-lights of the eighties with the films of Flora Gomes, Pedro Costa and Daniel E. Thorbecke, an unknown . "Terra Longe", a remarkable oeuvre, is one of the forgotten fruits of cinema.

You may guess on one hand that the Portuguese cinematography and those of Portuguese expression distinguish themselves by this motive, which gives them a voice in the world of cinema, like the voice of Cesária Évora in the world of music. The favelas and the trans-sexuals themes are focused in Brasil.

Arising fiction in the heart of ethnicity is something common in the Portuguese popular narrative (oral literature). There is no reason to surprise if, due to a peculiar attraction for legend and surrealistic imagery, ethnofiction strips off her realistic predicates and becomes pure fiction. This fact is common in many films, such as those of Manoel de Oliveira, António Campos, António Reis, João César Monteiro and others. Ethnofiction – real life and fantasy in just one – is a distinctive mark of the Portuguese cinema.

ee also

* Visual anthropology
* Ethnography
* Direct cinema
* Docufiction
* 'Workshop on Ethnofictions' [http://www.faktafiktion.se/pdf/Workshop%20on%20Ethnofictions.pdf] (Sjöberg, J. 2008. In: Runnel, P., ed. Mediating Culture through Film: Conversations and Reflections on Filmmaking at Tartu Worldfilm Festival. Tartu, Estonian National Museum, pp. 99-103)

ee also

* Ethnofiction in the programme of [http://www.comite-film-ethno.net/Bilan/bilan2008/festival-international-jean-rouch-2008-index.htm Festival international Jean Rouch] . "Musée de l’Homme", Paris.