TRADIČNÍ ZNALOSTI ASHÉNINKŮ – PALMA PIASSABA
CZ, 2012, 9 min
Pavel Borecký
26.01.2013 16:35
When inhabitants of rainforest walk under its canopy, they see resources for life. The ways of collecting, processing and utilization of these resources are based upon traditional indigenous knowledge which is for „western“ science examined by ethnobotany. The discipline generally focuses on cultural, social and economical relationships between plants and indigenous peoples. Movie camera is during field research used very rarely.Among the other goals of scientific expedition Wayvana Peru 2011 we have strived to answer the question: „Are methods of visual anthropology for preservation of traditional indigenous knowledge applicable? If so, what are pros and cons of this approach?“ The movie is part of „visual ethnobotany“ series and depicts „the story of resource“ piassaba palm (Aphandra natalia).
Pavel Borecký study PhD. program at University of West Bohemia in Pilsen. He directed ethnographis movie called „Gáj“ and he lead ethnobotanic expedition „Wayvana“ to Peru.
Director: Pavel Borecký
Production: Anthropictures, Institut tropů a subtropů ČZU v Praze
Language of dialogues: Spain
Language of subtitles: Czech
The documentary follows the invasion of inquisitive filmmakers-cum-agroturists in Gerník, a Czech village in the Romanian province of Banát. Members of the team of the Prague-based NGO Inventura, co-authors of the documentary Earthlings, who will you vote for?, travelled to Banát to create a portrait both of a village dying out and of an anthropologist who fights with romantic fantasies about Czech villages in this locality. Is the village, which is being abandoned by whole families who leave for allegedly better life in the Czech Republic, a paradise on Earth, a fully preserved countryside of the 19th century? What do those who stayed think and what were their reasons? How do new media and wind farms fit into the idealized image of the traditional agrarian region?
Samuel was born and raised in Cameroon. He grew up in a society where everyone believed in the existence of witchcraft. Every tragedy and evil was caused by a supernatural being. His childhood was marked by belief in witchcraft and its practices. After five years of studying film production abroad, he returned to his country, this time not to visit his family but to unveil the mysteries and secrets of witchcraft and his childhood nightmares. 
