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?
Voroneț is one of the best known and the most visited monastery`s in Romania, especially because of church Saint George. On the wall, it has preserved a lot of frescos (murals) from the 15th century with intensive and not so faded colors. Cultural importance of this place has been appreciated by UNESCO as well, when it has added it to its heritage list. The surrealistic image is created by 6 days observations of the place of monastery and surrounded market place, which are crossed real and symbolic ways of people. Intensive perception of the most fascinating mural of Last Judgement creates mosaic confrontation with the mirror of ideas, visions, watched and listened. Voroneț symbolically conceptualizes the way of life, we believe in.
