Picture - Aesthetics of encounter night

In embracing the filmic text as a site of cultural creativity and artistic experiment, we ask whether such research loses power of communication and whether the integrity of relationship is sacrificed or enhanced. Can creative engagement offer a space to transcend unidirectional formats of research? May the encounter of media production initiate an inclusive community of expressive voice? How may we read these moments of inventive display? We consider the dialogical aesthetics of negotiating, attempting to understand, being present and representing.

Guest-speakers:
Chris Isaacs - Documentary film-maker / London Film School / National Film and Television School
Amanda Ravetz – Manchester Metropolitan
Chris Wright – Anthropology of Arts course-convener / Goldsmiths Visual Anthropology

Pictures - Anthropology as a Service Night

The question of ethical responsibility over production and dissemination of ethnographic film unceasingly addresses researchers and directors, but one has to make a living. Increasing employment of ethnographic research for market products of global companies and the US army’s deployment of anthropologists as mediators during occupation of Afghanistan has prompted the labelling of “mercenary anthropology.” Should one take a stance against such alliances or can ethnographic film offer a voice to viable solutions for practical problems? Does short-term gain and financial concern undermine the ethics of anthropology or offer a stable role to the future of the discipline? Can ethnographic film invert the flow of decisions offering a humanistic ‘bottom-up’ perspective?

Guest Speakers:

Siamack Salari – C.E.O. of “everyday lives” / commercial and video ethnography
Michael Stewart – social anthropologist / film producer

Chair: Professor Pat Caplan

ISEFF - your feedback!

Now the ISEFF is over, we would like you to take a moment and reflect on the festival and what could be improved, also any comments on this year's award-winners:

- Anthropology as a Service night: "No Such thing as a Free lunch" (Tate Lefevre)


- Aesthetics of Encounter night: "30 years more" (Josh Neff)


FEEL FREE TO LEAVE COMMENTS ON THIS ARTICLE!

2 SEMINARS

Monday 10th - RHB137a Goldsmiths Main Building

Thanks a lot to Rastko and Ger for allowing the exposure of this film "in the process" of film. It was an ideal start in the frame of a student film festival in a city like London: looking at history from the performance of an anthropologist's diaries.
Approximately 50 people attended and the [intense] discussion extended well beyond 7p.m...
Some criticized what Goldsmiths had become today (What is it today?), a critique of such projects for their postmodern nature (how can you read history from an anthropologist's diary's perspective in the streets of London, today? what authority does it give you? what is its use?). Concerns of an anthropology for direct action or simply of historical truth for others...
Meanwhile we got a positive insight, a self-reflexive look at an individual's experience of a major historical event:
Ger Duijzings's personal writings as a Phd researcher in War-time Serbia..
More on www.rastkonovakovic.org





Wednesday 12th - Small Hall Cinema Goldsmiths Main Building
About 50 people attended this seminar, and as of the last seminar it only makes us which for more! We thank Emily, Jay and Yasmin for attending and presenting their work, as well as Elhum and Suzanne from the RAI for sharing their thoughts during the debate.

ISEFF 2008 film programme

ISEFF - join us on facebook

You can join us on our facebook group for updates directly related to the coming festival!

http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=42242116146

the website..

At last, we have a website!

http://www.goldsmiths.ac.uk/iseff/
http://www.goldsmiths.ac.uk/iseff/

We will update it regularly over the next few months - indeed the festival is now set for the 11th and 12th of November!
So keep in touch, all the best!

11th and 12th of November - currently calling applicants!
Contact us for the application form and the call for submission...