To know the pymies VIIIbis: in a changing world
The same filmmaker, Laurent Maget, made the documantary ‘Pygmées Baka, le grand virage’ in 2013. It starts with the same beautiful imagery, showing a large community of Baka in their more sedentary surroundings ‘Le Bosquet’ in Cameroun. They tell of how they got there, invited by a ‘sister’ (I presume a christian missionary) to come live there, next to a village, and create a large community. This worked, they got advantages like a school. The community attracted researchers (biologic anthropologists) who have in return a dentist pass by regularly. Then it also attracted Bantou shopkeepers. read more…
To know the pygmies VIII, working with a researcher
I finally show you something really good in the ‘To know the pygmies’ series. A documentary movie in which we follow the linguistic researcher Pascale Paulin and the Baka hunter and medicine man Sumba Ngogo Ndong Azombo Alain. First they work at the university of Lyon, then they go on a tour through the forests of Gabon. read more…
To know the Pygmies VI: from the internet
Images of pygmy groups are often just of a few women dancing in a circle on behalf of the camera, often in or next to a village – not many of the camera people go into the forest to meet them. Now I found a very professionally made full documentary. read more…
To know the pygmies V: through their art
The more sources I find, the more the series “To know the pygmies” becomes a story about the impossibility to get any information not colored or filtered, or even invented, by Western authors. I have one more for you, a wonderful book about the textile art by pygmie women, a book that I marvel at but that is very incomplete at the same time. read more…
To know the pygmies IVbis: Pöli
Pöli is the name of a Baka woman who has been extensively interviewed, first by an author, then by a documentary filmmaker. read more…
To know the Pygmies IV: possessions or not
Often we hear that Pygmies are the possession of a ‘tall black’ person or family. There are certainly differences between groups, and many are not in a good position today, but also, much depends on the source. read more…
To know the Pygmies III, Joseph Maes
How was the first information about Pygmies gathered? A creative gatherer of information was Joseph Maes, scientist at the Musée du Congo Belge, our colonial museum. read more…
To know the Pygmies II: Colin Turnbull
In 1961, the anthropologist and musicologist Colin Turnbull published his book ‘The Forest People’ after a few long stays with the nomadic Mbuti. It is a personal account of his interests and adventures at the Mbuti in the Congo. It reads like a train. I highly recommend it. read more…
To know the Pygmies I
One of the first questions in this research was: How can I get to know the Pygmies? – meaning, without becoming an ethnographer and going to see them and knowing that I am in the first place interested in the Western views. read more…
trying to animate the dance
From the video in the previous post, I tried to copy the laid-back dancing. I still am working on a montage to have them dance in my city. read more…