Filming Ng ā Taonga Pūoro: The Potential of Experimental Film in Anthropological and Ethnomusicological Enquiry

Authors

  • Sebastian Lowe Aarhus University
  • Peter Crawford

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.11157/sites-id350

Keywords:

Visual anthropology, experimental film, taonga pūoro (Māori musical instruments), mimesis, New Zealand

Abstract

In this article we discuss the potential of experimental film as an extended method of ethnographic enquiry within anthropology and ethnomusicology. Taking a point of departure in Aotearoa/New Zealand, with Māori carvers, composers, and musicians in and around the discourse of ngā taonga pūoro (traditional New Zealand Māori musical instruments), we examine how anthropologists, through the medium of film, may get closer to understanding alternative approaches to music-making within the discourse of the contemporary taonga pūoro tradition. Drawing inspiration from ethnographic film we explore the possibilities and also representational implications regarding the use of experimental film-making as a research tool within the canon of anthropological and ethnomusicological scholarship. We argue that there is space for experimental film in the anthropological discipline, especially when exploring multi-sensorial phenomena, such as music.

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Published

19-06-2018

Issue

Vol. 15 No. 1 (2018)

Section

Articles

License

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How to Cite

Filming Ng ā Taonga Pūoro: The Potential of Experimental Film in Anthropological and Ethnomusicological Enquiry. (2018). Sites: A Journal of Social Anthropology and Cultural Studies, 15(1). https://doi.org/10.11157/sites-id350