Film Festival Reveal to Survive

Indigenous People and Western Media

1993 

In the fall of 1993, the United Nations' International Year of the Indigenous Peoples, there will be a series of events in the city of Amsterdam which will call attention to the situation of indigenous people worldwide. These events will have as a common title: 'Stemmen van de Aarde, de Wereld van Inheemse Volken' (Voices of the Earth, the World of Indigenous People). There will be a congress on the concept of self-determination, an exhibition on indigenous worldviews, a big manifestation with indigenous music, poetry and theatre, and a film festival. The co-ordinating institution is the Netherlands Centre for Indigenous Peoples (NCIV).

NCIV has asked ReRun productions to organize a film festival which will last six days on the subject of the confrontation between indigenous people and Western filmmakers. The theme of the film festival might be summarized as follows. ReRun wants to inform the public about the possible unexpected, secondary effects of film documentaries and movies on the indigenous people that are portrayed. In many movies in which indigenous people play a part or are portrayed, existing stereotypical images are perpetuated and sometimes enhanced. Recently, however, there seems to be some change: Hollywood started producing movies with the 'real' story of the cultures and struggles of native peoples. In films like Dances with Wolves and Thunderheart, American Indian leaders play are part of the cast and express, through their appearance, their approval of the message of the film. Yet, this new cinematic interest in indigenous peoples' culture and history has unforeseen effects like a 'Indian hype' in New Age circles. It seems that old stereotypes are replaced by new.
Of many documentary films on indigenous people, the primary goal is to make known to the outside world the critical circumstances in which these people find themselves. The purpose is often to evoke sympathy for their plight, or to influence policy makers who, through their decisions, are in a position to influence the situation of these people. With their backs to the wall, indigenous people invite or allow camera teams to film their cultural expressions, their elders, their sacred objects. Many times the penetration of the camera, even by well intentioned and informed filmmakers, has disastrous consequences for the people portrayed. For example, one part of a tribe is pitted against another, because the same indigenous mediagenic spokespersons are interviewed time and again by subsequent filmteams, or the sacredness of ritual objects or ceremonies is jeopardized through the revealing and exhibition to the eyes of (uninitiated!) audiences thousands of miles away.
But is there a choice? If the outside world does not hear of what is going on in some remote part of the globe - the human rights violations, the pollution through mining, the loss of hunting ground as a result of logging - these developments might go on unquestioned and another indigenous people might 'disappear' from the world. In many respects it seems like a Faustian bargain: in order to survive, indigenous people have to sell their soul to the 'devil', i.e. the media. To many indigenous persons this is quite literally the case. It is against the Hopi religion, for example, to allow ceremonies and power objects to be photographed. Hopi elders feel that to film or photograph these things "steals their aura". To expose their ceremonies to people who have not been trained to understand them would undermine the meaning of the ceremonies.
The film festival will consist of several units, divided according to subject and geographical region. As the planning is in its initial stage, these divisions are still arbitrary. However, most likely there will be at least units on the American Southwest, on the Bushmen in Southern Africa, on the Papuans in West-Papua and Papua New Guinea, the Aborigines in Australia, and on Siberia. These units will be introduced by indigenous representatives and indigenous and non-indigenous filmmakers and media-sociologists. At the end of the festival there will be a panel discussion in front of a large audience.

Jan van Boeckel,
co-ordinator Film Festival 'Reveal to Survive'  for ReRun Produkties.