Basil Wright’s film “Song of Ceylon” (1934)
I will begin the process of posting some classic documentary footage available for viewing both in and out of class. I hope students will view these materials for ideas about how ethnographic filmmakers worked (and work) their craft. Here is a classic that gives an idea of the use of “voiceover” and the “authorial” stance of the narrator. What do you think of both Basil Wright’s footage and the other techniques he uses?