Ethnofest workshop : returning the words of ethnographers

by | Nov 2, 2021 | Ethnofest workshop proposal 2021, Open blog posts, Workshop invitation | 0 comments

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ORGANIZERS: Mattijs van de Port, Damianos Zisimou

WHAT: bringing the words of ethnographers back to the ethnos

WHEN: Wednesday 24/11, from 12.00-18.00. [NB: new time to avoid the rain – starts at 12!]

WHERE: starting at Grigoris Café in Ippokratous street

BRING: filmcamera, microphone, tripod, walking shoes

REGISTRATION: send a mail to m.p.j.vandeport@uva.nl

TEAMS: we work in teams of two, and each team needs to have a Greek speaker. We can therefore only have as many teams as there are Greek speaking participants.

This workshop picks up ideas from Jean Rouch’s classic documentary Chronicle of a Summer (1961) and Heddy Honigmann’s film O Amor Natural (1996), which use the camera as a catalyst for encounters and conversations.

We will make a selection of quotes from the work of ethnographers who have been working in and on Greece and ask random people in the street, kafaneions and city parks to read a quote while being filmed. We will also ask them te reflect on what they just read. The underlying ideas of the workshop are (1.) to stick to the fundamental idea that ethnography is the art of encountering other people, (2.) to bring ethnography back to the ‘ethnos’ (people), and (3.) provide a space for thought, comment and critique on ethnographic work. The footage may be edited into a short film.

This workshop is open to all people who are interested, both from the project as from outside the project. It will be held on Wednesday, and covers two timeslots (morning and afternoon). We will be working in teams of two, which should have at least one Greek speaker. Each team will take one quote. At 09.00 we will meet at Lulu’s Bakery and Deli (Tripodon Street 34, Plaka) there will be a brief explanatory meeting where some rules concerning camera work (so as to produce a somewhat coherent archive), choice of participants, and ethics will be explained. From 09.30 groups will disperse to different locations of their choice. The groups will meet at 17.00 at the same place to discuss findings and footage. If you wish to participate in the workshop, send an e-mail to Mattijs van de Port (m.p.j.vandeport@uva.nl) and make sure you bring a camera (with memory card and full batteries) with a good mic, and a tripod if you have one.

For those who want to prepare for the workshop by watching the aformentioned films:

Chronique d’un été — Jean Rouch 1961 | 89 min.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ct-49TYmzMg

and:

O amor natural — Heddy Honigmann

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