Jean Rouch: Eight+ Films
The West African films of French ethnographer Jean Rouch revolutionized both cinema and the practice of ethnography in the 20th century.
The six Rouch titles distributed by Icarus include his most highly regarded works. The full set represents the period of his most sustained creative flourishing, in which he developed the techniques of "ethno-fiction" and "ciné-trance". He described his practice during as this era as "shared anthropology", which he said "appears to me to be the only morally and scientifically feasible anthropological attitude today."
The Jean Rouch: Eight+ Films series includes the following titles:
JaguarA playful film that finds three African men performing an ethnography of their own culture.
Jean Rouch, the Adventurous FilmmakerA documentary about Jean Rouch, his films, and his influence on African cinema.
Little By LittleJean Rouch brings his Nigerien collaborators to France to perform a reverse ethnography of late-1960s Parisian life.
Mammy WaterA gentle portrait by Jean Rouch of the spiritual traditions of a fishing village in the Gulf of Guinea.
Moi, Un NoirIn this landmark documentary, Jean Rouch collaborates with his subjects to produce a complex portrait of Nigerien migrants in Abidjan, Cote D'Ivoire.
The Human PyramidJean Rouch's docu-drama revealing how working together to make a film changes the attitudes of the participants towards each other.
The Lion HuntersJean Rouch's self-reflexive depiction of lion hunting among the Songhay people of Niger, and the social structure that underlies it.
The Mad MastersJean Rouch depicts a Hauka possession ceremony that doubles as a theatrical protest against The Gold Coast's colonial rulers.
The PunishmentAn aimless young woman is sent home from school with nothing to do. Drifting through the streets of Paris, she comes across a variety of people.
Visit the title page to preview any of the titles above.
