Happenings

The Asuriní are a small indigenous people in Brazil. A little over 30 years ago, they first came in contact with the outside world. When Alice Villela spent two months with them doing anthropological fieldwork in 2007, she took a video camera along to record her observations. In the back of her mind, she was wondering what the relationship could be between art and anthropology, and how she should view herself: as an anthropologist who wants to be an artist, or an artist posing as an anthropologist. showcases the footage that Villela shot, accompanied by her own observations. She invites us to share in her contemplations and the difficulties in finding a form for her film. Is it worth it just to record something? When interviewing, does she only ask about things she wants to hear? When she presents the shaman with photos of objects used in an old ritual, he decides to perform the ritual again. Villela gets what she was hoping for, but becomes confused when the shaman wants to be paid for it. Things only fall into place when she lets go of her preconceived story and allows the images of people and their bodies to speak for themselves.