In the land of War Canoes AND In Search of the Hamat-sa: A Tale of Headhunting

Curtis's film is well-known - a fictional tale of love lost and gained, witchcraft and potlatch, among the Kwakwaka'wakw  people of British Columbia. As well as being a gripping ethno-drama, it is particularly significant for the array of material culture items, including potlatch goods, on display. Glass's award-winning film then traces the history of anthropological interest in one of the dances seen in Curtis's film, the hamat'sa or 'Cannibal Dance', using this as a route into an examination of the complexities of representing indigenous people.


Ethnographic Film Screenings Michaelmas Term 2017

Wednesdays, 3pm, Lecture Theatre, 61 Banbury Road

All welcome.