David MacDougall argues for a new conception of how visual images create human knowledge in a world in which the value of seeing has often been eclipsed by words.
David MacDougall is a pivotal figure in the development of ethnographic cinema and visual anthropology. As a filmmaker, he has directed in Africa, Australia, India, and Europe. His prize-winning films (many made jointly with his wife, Judith MacDougall) include The Wedding Camels, Lorang's Way, To Live with Herds, A Wife among Wives, Takeover, PhotoWallahs, and Tempus de Baristas. As a theorist, he articulates central issues in the relation of film to anthropology, and is one of the few documentary filmmakers who writes extensively on these concerns. The essays collected here address, for instance, the difference between films and written texts and between the position of the filmmaker and that of the anthropological writer. In fact, these works provide an overview of the history of visual anthropology, as well as commentaries on specific subjects, such as point-of-view and subjectivity, reflexivity, the use of subtitles, and the role of the cinema subject. Refreshingly free of jargon, each piece belongs very much to the tradition of the essay in its personal engagement with exploring difficult issues. The author ultimately disputes the view that ethnographic filmmaking is merely a visual form of anthropology, maintaining instead that it is a radical anthropological practice, which challenges many of the basic assumptions of the discipline of anthropology itself. Although influential among filmmakers and critics, some of these essays were published in small journals and have been until now difficult to find. The three longest pieces, including the title essay, are new.
This new collection of essays presents the latest thoughts of one of the world’s leading ethnographic filmmakers and writers on cinema. It will provide essential reading for students in cinema studies, filmmaking, and visual anthropology. The dozen wide-ranging essays give unique insights into the history of documentary, how films evoke space, time and physical sensations, and the intellectual and emotional links between filmmakers and their subjects. In an era of reality television, historical re-enactments, and designer packaging, MacDougall defends the principles that inspired the earliest practitioners of documentary cinema. He urges us to consider how the form can more accurately reflect the realities of our everyday lives. Building on his own practice in filmmaking, he argues that this means resisting the pressures for self-censorship and the inherent ethnocentrism of our own society and those we film.
The art of the observer is a personal guide to documentary filmmaking, based on the author’s years of pioneering work in the fields of ethnographic and documentary cinema. It stands in sharp contrast to books of academic film criticism and handbooks on visual research methods, being based extensively on concrete examples from the author’s own filmmaking experience. The book places particular emphasis on observational filmmaking and the ways in which this approach is distinct from other forms of documentary. It offers both practical insights and reflections on what it means, in both emotional and intellectual terms, to attempt to represent the lives of others. The book makes clear that documentary cinema is not simply a matter of recording reality, but of artfully organising the filmmaker’s observations in ways that reveal the complex patterns of social life.
DIVDesigned for non-native speakers of English, Twelve American Voices presents a series of entertaining and culturally rich radio documentaries by award-winning producer David Isay. These stories, which were first broadcast on National Public Radio, focus on a range of individuals living and working in contemporary America, from an immigrant Chinese restaurant owner in New York City to an African-American waitress who helped integrate a Southern lunch counter, from the owner of a pawnship–wedding chapel to a retired couple who have become disk jockeys. As students listen to these stories, they hear a variety of regional and ethnic “Englishes” and are introduced to some corners of American culture that are rarely seen in the media. In addition to transcripts of the documentaries, the book includes thought-provoking exercises that encourage students to analyze the language in the stories and to respond in both oral and written form. A CD of the broadcasts is included. Also available are an instructor’s manual and a cassette for language labs (both free)./div
Designed for non-native speakers of English, Twelve American Voices presents a series of entertaining and culturally rich radio documentaries by award-winning producer David Isay. These stories, which were first broadcast on National Public Radio, focus on a range of individuals living and working in contemporary America, from an immigrant Chinese restaurant owner in New York City to an African-American waitress in the South, from the owner of a wedding chapel to a retired couple who have become disc jockeys. As students listen to these stories, they hear a variety of regional and ethnic 'Englishes' and are introduced to some corners of American culture that are rarely seen in the media. In addition to transcripts of the documentaries, the book includes thought-provoking exercises that encourage students to analyse the language in the stories and to respond in both oral and written form. A CD of the broadcasts in included. Also available are an instructor's manual and a cassette for language labs (both free).
The Second Edition of this popular text confirms the book’s status as an important forerunner in the field of visual methods. Combining the theoretical, practical and technical the authors discuss changing technologies, the role of the internet and the impact of social media. Presenting an interdisciplinary guide to visual methods they explore both the creation and interpretation of visual images and their use within different methodological approaches. This clear, articulate book is full of practical tips on publishing and presenting the results of visual research and how to use film and photographic archives. This book will be an indispensable guide for anyone using or creating visual images in their research.
For readers of John Grisham and William Deverell comes a political thriller ripped from today’s headlines. Lawyer and environmental activist David R. Boyd writes a riveting thriller about the psychological toll of a humanitarian crisis. Filled with tension and courtroom drama, Thirst for Justice will have you questioning what you believe about right versus wrong. Michael MacDougall is a talented trauma surgeon whose life in Seattle is slowly unraveling. Frustrated as an ER doctor and with his marriage in trouble, he volunteers with a medical aid charity in the Congo. Disconsolate at the lives he cannot save in the desperate conditions of the region, he is shattered by a roadside confrontation with the mercenary Mai Mai that results in unthinkable losses. Back home in Seattle, he is haunted by his experiences in Africa and what he sees as society’s failure to provide humanitarian aid to those who most desperately need it. Locked in a downward spiral, he becomes obsessed with making his government listen to him and dreams up an act of terrorism to shock his nation awake. Activist and lawyer David Boyd’s debut novel is a taut political thriller that begs the question: how far is too far when you’re seeking justice?
Focusing on juvenile transfer and disposition evaluations, this volume provides an up-to-date integration of current law, science, and practice with respect to juvenile risk assessment, treatment needs/amenability, and sophistication-maturity. Included are perspectives relating to international practices, use of specialized assessment tools, and a separate chapter on resentencing following US Supreme Court decisions on juveniles sentenced to mandatory life without parole. This text will be a useful and comprehensive reference for forensic psychologists and other mental health professionals engaged in juvenile evaluation, as well as legal professionals, juvenile and criminal justice professionals, and others involved with juvenile assessment, decision-making, and rehabilitation.
This year there will be more than 1,660,290 new cancer cases in the U.S. Behind that sad statistic are many stories with both similarities and variations. Cancer’s shadow looms large, even for survivors. Fears often linger. Will the cancer come back? Will I experience limitations and side effects for the rest of my life? Are my loved ones predisposed to this disease? Experiencing cancer (or other life-threatening diseases) is life changing and all pervasive. It affects every part of one’s life. It is not just a physical event. For some, it can become a spiritual journey, transforming relationships in a positive and healing way. The author explains the power of gaining knowledge about one’s disease and the treatments available for it, and the power of hope and a spiritual life, including a faith in something bigger than oneself.
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