The potentiality of form: Archival practices and essayistic modes in the making of an ethnographic documentary
Publisher DOI
Abstract
This chapter explores the potential of the essay film in ethnographic filmmaking, focusing on its ability to critically assess the relationship between textual and audio-visual forms of knowledge. It uses examples from the feature-length essay film Tarantism Revisited to argue that the essayistic form and its inherent interrogative mode are well-suited for multimodal exploration and experimental usage in scientific and artistic contexts. As filmmakers and ethnographers, the authors revisit the sites, landscapes and archival materials related to the phenomenon of Apulian tarantism, a spider-possession cult that has captivated scientists, artists, filmmakers and tourists for centuries. The chapter’s filmic analysis is a journey into the transmission and use of these iconic images in contemporary southern Italy through audio-visual montage and an open narrative form, both constitutive of the essay film. Here, it outlines the various steps involved in developing, conceiving and making an essayistic documentary and how it corresponds to an empirical art form.
Date Issued
2025-09-02
Publication Type
Book Section
Language(s)
en
Author(s)
Publisher
Manchester University Press
Access(Rights)
metadata.only