Wednesday, 12 December 2012, 1pm

– Ethnographic Film Series –

The Professional Foreigner – Asen Balikci and Visual Ethnography

Film screening of The Professional Foreigner – Asen Balikci and Visual Ethnography by Rolf Husmann. 2009, 60 min

School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS)
Khalili Lecture Theatre, SOAS, College Building, Thornhaugh Street off Russell Square, London WC1H 0XG (http://www.soas.ac.uk/visitors/location/maps/)

Asen Balikci has been a leading figure in making ethnographic films for many decades. In a series of talks between Balikci and filmmaker Rolf Husmann in different locations, the life and work of Asen Balikci are shown and discussed: the film takes us from Asen’s youth in Istanbul to his career in Canada where he became famous for making the Netsilik Eskimos Series, to filming in Afghanistan and then turning to two other activities of his: as a networker for the Commission on Visual Anthropology (CVA) and as a teacher of Summer Schools in Siberia and Bulgaria. His film work among the Bulgarian Pomak and his still ongoing work in Sikkim (India) conclude the film which is not only the portrait of a famous expert in Visual Ethnography, but also more generally touches upon vital issues of ethnographic filmmaking.

Organised by the Royal Anthropological Institute’s Film Committee and SOAS Department of Anthropology and Sociology

These are public free events. All are welcome. No booking required.