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Film Genres

This guide highlights library resources for some of the more popular film genres.

A short definition for ethnographic films

A practice of documentary film and of visual anthropology informed by the theories, methods, and vocabulary of the discipline of anthropology, involving use of the film camera as a research tool in documenting whole, or definable parts of, cultures with methodological awareness and precision. In its strictest definition, ethnographic film constitutes a form of academic research, with an intended audience of scholars of anthropology.

Kuhn, A. & Westwell, G. (2012). "Ethnographic film." In A Dictionary of Film Studies. Oxford University Press. Retrieved 23 Dec. 2015.

Finding library resources for ethnographic film

Resources about ethnographic film are scattered throughout the GN 347's and PN 1990's. To see what our catalog has, click on one of the following subject searches:

Introductory reading(s)

Selected book titles

Finding articles & journals

Articles and other writings about movies can be found in many publications. Our collection doesn't include publications which look exclusively at ethnographic films, however there is a journal for visual anthropology.  You can search Film & Television Literature Index to find articles or use the search box at the top of the page.

Selected movie titles

For more ethnographic films, search the library's online catalog.