Category: Anthropology/Archaeology
ALPACAS: AN ANDEAN GAMBLE
A documentary about the efforts to bring alpacas, indigenous animals of the Andes who were sacred in Inca culture, to a community in Northern Peru. Populations of alpacas were devastated during the Spanish conquest. The film depicts this cooperative project, which was initiated in the small Andean community and sponsored by the Interamerican Foundation.
Anthropology/Archaeology, Culture/Festivals/Food, Indigenous Peoples, PeruApproach of Dawn
An informative and sensitive documentary that tells the story of Mayan women activists and their courageous fight for indigenous rights in Guatemala. Featuring several outstanding women that are playing an important role in this struggle, including 1992 Nobel Peace Prize winner Rigoberta Menchú.
Anthropology/Archaeology, Guatemala, Indigenous Peoples, Women's StudiesBUENAVISTA VASE, THE: ARCHEOLOGY VS. LOOTING
Anthropology/Archaeology, Art, Indigenous Peoples, Latin America, USABuried Mirror, The. Part 1: The Virgin and The Bull
A co-production of Spanish television and the Smithsonian Institute, this Quincentenary series, narrated by the well known Mexican novelist Carlos Fuentes, is an excellent historical analysis and creatively filmed story of the encounter of two worlds in 1492 and the aftermath of this encounter. 5 hours in total, it can be shown separately or individually. In this first installment Fuentes examines the meaning of mestizaje, the mix of people that created Latin America: Spanish, Arab, Jewish, Indian and African.
(five part series)
Buried Mirror, The. Part 2: The Conflict of The Gods
A co-production of Spanish television and the Smithsonian Institute, this Quincentenary series, narrated by the well known Mexican novelist Carlos Fuentes, is an excellent historical analysis and creatively filmed story of the encounter of two worlds in 1492 and the aftermath of this encounter. 5 hours in total, it can be shown separately or individually. In part 2 Fuentes retraces the indigenous world through its pyramids and sculptures. The return of their blond, exiled god, Quetzalcoatl, was forecast for the very year Cortes reached its shores.
(five part series)
Buried Mirror, The. Part 3: The Age of Gold
A co-production of Spanish television and the Smithsonian Institute, this Quincentenary series, narrated by the well known Mexican novelist Carlos Fuentes, is an excellent historical analysis and creatively filmed story of the encounter of two worlds in 1492 and the aftermath of this encounter. 5 hours in total, it can be shown separately or individually. In the third installment Fuentes highlights the enormous wealth that Spain extracted from its colonies during the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. He also highlights the so-called "Columbian exchange" and its effects in the Old World.
(five part series)
Buried Mirror, The. Part 4: The Price of Freedom
A co-production of Spanish television and the Smithsonian Institute, this Quincentenary series, narrated by the well known Mexican novelist Carlos Fuentes, is an excellent historical analysis and creatively filmed story of the encounter of two worlds in 1492 and the aftermath of this encounter. 5 hours in total, it can be shown separately or individually. In the fourth part of this series Fuentes focuses on the process and legacy of Latin America's struggle for independence from Spain. Fuentes travels to Mexico and different parts of South America, focusing on historical characters like Miguel Hidalgo, Simón Bolívar, and José de San Martín.
(five part series)
Buried Mirror, The. Part 5: Unfinished Business
A co-production of Spanish television and the Smithsonian Institute, this Quincentenary series, narrated by the well known Mexican novelist Carlos Fuentes, is an excellent historical analysis and creatively filmed story of the encounter of two worlds in 1492 and the aftermath of this encounter. 5 hours in total, it can be shown separately or individually. In this final episode of the series Fuentes explores the pan-Hispanic-American cultures of the present day. pain, Latin America and the Hispanic communities in the United States all have undergone enormous changes. Fuentes comments on the traditions which Hispanic immigrants bring to the US in art, music and dance, respect for family ties distinct hallmarks of the Spanish-speaking world.
(five part series)
Chocolate: Pathway To The Gods
Our universal passion for chocolate goes back over 3,000 years. This documentary explores the history of this divine substance through artifacts, ritual, and obsession; and takes the viewer on a journey from ancient Mesoamerica to Europe's finest chocolate houses. It is the first documentary of a series focusing on four ritual foods of the Americas: chocolate, tequila, corn and potatoes. Produced by Archeo Productions.
Anthropology/Archaeology, Culture/Festivals/Food, Latin AmericaCineastas Indígenas 1: Kuikuro
This 3-part collection includes six films produced by Indigenous filmmakers Kuikuro, Huni Kui and Panara. Part I includes: Imbé Gikegü, Cheiro de pequi (2006, 36 minutes) and Nguné Elü, O dia em que a lua menstruou (2004, 28 min) by Kuikuro.
Part II includes: Xinã Bena, Novos tempos (2006, 52 min) and Huni Meka: Os Cantos do cipo (2006, 25 min) by Hunikui. Part III includes: Kiarãsâ Yõ Sâty, O amendoim da cutia (2005, 52 min) and Prîara Jõ, Depois do ovo, a Guerra (2008, 15 min) by Panará.
Anthropology/Archaeology, Brazil, History, Indigenous Peoples, Social Issues, Social Life and CustomsCineastas Indígenas 2: Huni Kuí
This 3-part collection includes six films produced by Indigenous filmmakers Kuikuro, Huni Kui and Panara. Part I includes: Imbé Gikegü, Cheiro de pequi (2006, 36 minutes) and Nguné Elü, O dia em que a lua menstruou (2004, 28 min) by Kuikuro.
Part II includes: Xinã Bena, Novos tempos (2006, 52 min) and Huni Meka: Os Cantos do cipo (2006, 25 min) by Hunikui.
Part III includes: Kiarãsâ Yõ Sâty, O amendoim da cutia (2005, 52 min) and Prîara Jõ, Depois do ovo, a Guerra (2008, 15 min) by Panará.
Anthropology/Archaeology, Brazil, History, Indigenous Peoples, Social Issues, Social Life and CustomsCineastas Indígenas 3: Panaráí
This 3-part collection includes six films produced by Indigenous filmmakers Kuikuro, Huni Kui and Panara. Part I includes: Imbé Gikegü, Cheiro de pequi (2006, 36 minutes) and Nguné Elü, O dia em que a lua menstruou (2004, 28 min) by Kuikuro. Part II includes: Xinã Bena, Novos tempos (2006, 52 min) and Huni Meka: Os Cantos do cipo (2006, 25 min) by Hunikui.
Part III includes: Kiarãsâ Yõ Sâty, O amendoim da cutia (2005, 52 min) and Prîara Jõ, Depois do ovo, a Guerra (2008, 15 min) by Panará.
Anthropology/Archaeology, Brazil, History, Indigenous Peoples, Social Issues, Social Life and CustomsCities Of The Ancient Mayas
This is a documentary by the Educational Video Network about ancient Maya society. This is intended for younger audiences.
Anthropology/Archaeology, Indigenous Peoples, Latin AmericaCity of Men
Two lifelong friends raised amidst the turmoil of Rio de Janeiro's notorious Pool Hall Hill attempt to navigate the treacherous maze of adulthood after celebrating their 18th birthdays and becoming caught up in the city's endless cycle of violence in director Paulo Morelli's companion piece to the Golden Globe-winning drama City of God. Laranjinha and Acerola may not be bound by blood, but these childhood friends are closer to one another than most brothers. While their friendship has gone a long way in helping them both to cope with the strife that surrounds them, the hard truth is that they will both have to fend for themselves now that they've entered into adulthood. For Laranjinha, entering this stage in life means finding his long-lost father; for Acerola it means finally taking responsibility for his growing family. Now, as Laranjinha's cousin, quick-tempered local drug lord Madrugadão (Jonathan Haagensen), finds his power threatened by his former right-hand man Nefasto (Eduardo BR Piranha), it quickly becomes apparent that a formidable war is brewing in the poverty-stricken shantytown. The brother of Laranjinha's girlfriend, Camila (Naima Silva), looks to be a key component in this battle, threatening to draw a neutral man into a deadly confrontation. Meanwhile, Acerola's wife, Cris (Camila Monteiro), is threatening to move to S?o Paolo so that her family won't be consumed by the violence that has torn apart so many families before.
Anthropology/Archaeology, Brazil, Drama, Politics/Human Rights, Social IssuesCoração Do Samba
This is a musical documentary about the contagious rhythm of the samba schools' batteries, their origin, instruments, the different suits and their evolution.
Anthropology/Archaeology, Brazil, Music/Dance, Social Life and CustomsCouple In The Cage
This film documents the traveling performance of Guillermo Gómez-Peña and Coco Fusco, in which they exhibit themselves as caged Amerindians from an imaginary island, providing a vivid and provocative interpretation of cultural encounters.
Anthropology/Archaeology, Art, Cinema/Theater, Latinos/Chicanos, USADust And Lipstick In The Central Plateau / Poeira & batom no Planalto Central
This documentary interviews 50 Brazilian women from varying socio-economic statuses and professions who moved to the area between 1956 and 1960 – a transformative time in the region where most structures and life was in the process of being built. This is a good film for those interested in women studies and the role women played in building Brasilia.
Anthropology/Archaeology, Biography, Brazil, Social Issues, Women's StudiesEdge Walker: A Conversation With Linda Schele
Documentary tribute to the late Linda Schele, among the leading scholars of Maya civilization, who in January 1998 gave a long, filmed interview in which she talks freely and frankly in her own inimitable style about her life, work, and philosophy.
Anthropology/Archaeology, Indigenous Peoples, Latinos/Chicanos, USAEn El Camino De Nuestros Antepasados
This film uses puppets to deliver lessons about Yucatec Maya language, culture, and history. It deals with issues of contemporary and ancient Maya heritage. The main characters travel to different sites including Chichen Itza, and learn about things such as traditional Maya farming practices, ancient Maya religion, and heritage site looting and preservation.
Animated, Anthropology/Archaeology, Country/Region, Environment/Geography, Indigenous Peoples, Mexico, Social Issues, SubjectFestival Of Mamacha Grande, The
Every year on July 16th the town of Paucartambo celebrates the festival of the Virgen del Carmen, Mamacha Carmen. According to tradition, the beauty of this festival arise from the competition between it and the Virgen del Rosario, the former celebrated by mestizos and the latter by Indians. Dance groups provide ways for the inhabitants of the town to identify themselves as individuals, as well as relate with one another as a single mestizo identity.
Anthropology/Archaeology, Indigenous Peoples, PeruIn Search Of The Mayas
Deep in the rainforest of Mexico’s Yucatán Peninsula are the lost Mayan Cities of Chichen Itzá an Palenque. Discover their magic and learn about the Mayan culture while exploring some of the region’s most exquisite examples of pre-Hispanic American architecture.
Anthropology/Archaeology, Indigenous Peoples, MexicoIncas Remembered
Explores the mysteries of an advanced civilization's disappearance. The miracles of the Incas are presented in this engrossing special by award winning filmmaker Luch Jarvis. Suitable for all ages, but excellent for elementary-school students
Anthropology/Archaeology, Indigenous Peoples, PeruIncidents Of Travel In Chichén Itzá
This oringinal ethnographic video depicts how New Agers, the Mexican state, tourists, and 1920s archeologists all contend to “clear” the site of the antique Maya city of Chiché Itzá in order to produce their own idealized and unobstructed visions of “Maya” while the local Maya themselves struggle to occupy the site as vendors and artisans.
Anthropology/Archaeology, Indigenous Peoples, MexicoKnorosov: The Decipherment Of The Mayan Script
This documentary retraces the decipherment of the ancient Mayan codices by an unknown Russian scholar, Yuri Valentinovich Knorosov. Due to the political tensions of the Cold War, Western scholars ignored his linguistic breakthrough. This film recounts the personal and intellectual journey that led to his discovery, and the subsequent struggle for recognition.
Anthropology/Archaeology, MexicoMadame Satã
Born to slaves in the arid wasteland of NortBrazil and sold by his mother at the age of 7 for amule, Joao Francisco dos Santos battled all stereotypes on the mean streets of Lapa, Rio de Janeiro. Jailed for 27 of his 76 years, dos Santos was an explosive figure prone to excessive bouts of violence and moments of extreme tenderness the next. Karim Ainouz's extraordinary and complex portrait of the triumphs and tragedy of this colorful personality unfolds against the vibrant, sordid backgrouns of Lapa in the 1930s> a thronging underworld of pimps and whores, of cut-throats, queers and artists, of dark bars and brotherls thick with smoke, drenched in sweat and cheap perfume. A world filled with violence and raw desire, where desperate dreams spring from poverty and squalor.
Anthropology/Archaeology, Brazil, Culture/Festivals/Food, Drama, Music/Dance, Social IssuesManuel Zapata Olivella: Abridor De Caminos
As one of the most prominent Afro-Colombian figures of the 20th century, Manuel Zapata Olivella did many things to promote Colombian culture and the history of African-descended peoples in Colombia. This documentary deals with various aspects of his versatile and prolific career.
Anthropology/Archaeology, Biography, ColombiaMaya, The
This great exhibit shows the expressive aesthetic language and historical testimony of an admirable civilization. This is the first presentation of the maya civilization that has covered all the regions of their geographical extension, all the periods of its history and all the diversity of the people who forged it.
Anthropology/Archaeology, Indigenous Peoples, MexicoMayas U Su’ut Ka’ansah
Filmed in the states of Quintana Roo and Yucatán, "U Su'us Ka'ansah (The Cycle of Teaching) depicts the living ancestral science within Mayan communities. We are given the opportunity to partake in their cultural practices, experiences, and knowledge, as well as their unique ways of thinking. In addition, the documentary reveals ancient Mayan principles which are still present in Yucatán communities today. We are presented with the problems surrounding their language, customs, ceremonies, traditional medicinal practices, products, and land, and how these endanger their cultural identity and ancestral knowledge.
Anthropology/Archaeology, Country/Region, Culture/Festivals/Food, History, Indigenous Peoples, Mexico, Social Life and Customs, SubjectMexican Prehispanic Cultures
This film takes a look at the cultural wealth of prehispanic Mexico: the civilizations of the Toltecs, the Aztecs, the Mayas, and their legacies are explored. Intended for younger audiences. An Educational Video Network film.
Anthropology/Archaeology, History, Indigenous Peoples, MexicoMissao de Pesquisas Folcloricas Cadernetas de Campo
This DVD brings the field notebooks used by the researchers sent to the North and Northeast of the Country in 1938 by the then director of the Department of Culture of Sao Paulo, Mario de Andrade. Material, until now inaccessible to the Folkloric Research Mission, the books were digitized, transcribed and their images edited in an interactive program, in addition to being illustrated by the material recorded by the team, such as photographs, films and phonograms. Navigation can be carried out from each small notebook, with a reading centered on the notes of each researcher, or by the team's itinerary, whose diary organized by Flavia camargo Toni allows diving and understanding of the activities carried out day by day by members of the Mission.
Anthropology/Archaeology, Brazil, Indigenous Peoples, Social Life and CustomsMomias, Las
This film documents “The Accidental Mummies of Guanajuato” exhibition which appeared at the Natural Science Center of Greensboro, NC in 2012. The history of the city of Guanajuato, Mexico, through the lens of its “accidental mummies”, is explained by historians, architects, anthropologists, and forensics teams. The mummies and crypts are carefully preserved and contribute to the city’s rich cultural heritage.
Anthropology/Archaeology, Colonial, Culture/Festivals/Food, Mexico, Social Life and CustomsMy Footsteps In Baragua
On the history in Cuba of an extensive West Indian community (consisting of people from Jamaica, Barbados, & many others)
Anthropology/Archaeology, Cuba, Culture/Festivals/Food, Social Life and CustomsO outro lado da rua / The Other Side Of The Street
Regina, a lonely and retired grandmother, defies social expectations maintaining a very active lifestyle in Rio de Janeiro's urban life. She does this largely by supplying the police with tips on criminal activities in the area. When she witnesses what she believes is a murder across the street, she tries to obtain incriminating statements from the supposed perpetrator but in the process her whole world changes...
Anthropology/Archaeology, Brazil, Cinema/Theater, Drama, Gender/Sexuality, Social IssuesRITES OF THE DAY OF THE DEAD
Anthropology/Archaeology, Art, Culture/Festivals/Food, History, MexicoSacred Games: Ritual Warfare
Every year in San Juan Chamula, Chiapas, in Southern Mexico, thousands of Maya Indians gather to celebrate Carnival, which they call "Festival of Games". This award winning film, which merges Catholicism and ancient Maya rights, beautifully captures the passion and mystery of the event and shows how Maya's symbolic world is renewed each year in the celebrations.
Anthropology/Archaeology, Indigenous Peoples, Mexico