Women’s Documentary Filmmaking Under The Visual Anthropology Perspective

Since the advent of visual anthropology,safeguarding the well-being of ethnic and marginalized groups has been a primary concern.While the discipline has produced numerous ethnographic documentaries and films focusing on grassroots vulnerable communities using audio-visual language,there remains a paucity of works centered on women.To address this gap,this article employs anthropological research methods and film and television techniques to create a feminist-themed graduation work,"Her Sea Dream," documenting the daily lives of socially disadvantaged rural women.By utilizing visual anthropology theory,this film offers a more accurate depiction of the survival situation of rural women,aiming to foster a greater understanding of their experiences and lives,draw attention to their living conditions,and awaken audiences’ feminist consciousness.In the context of visual anthropology,this article explores practical methods for producing feminist documentaries and charts future research directions,ultimately contributing to the authentic representation and documentation of women’s survival status.This article comprises four chapters.Ch.1 provides an overview of the evolution of visual anthropology and feminist documentaries in domestic and international contexts,emphasizing their inherent connection.Ch.2 examines the practical application of visual anthropology research methods in feminist documentary content creation.Drawing on fieldwork and in-depth description,it offers guidance for filming methods.Ch.3 analyzes the specific application of visual anthropology in "Her Sea Dream," discussing camera language,sound art,and research methods.It concludes by summarizing and reflecting on the experience gained,providing practical experience and creative inspiration.Overall,this article explores methods for creating feminist documentaries,suggests future research directions,and contributes to the authentic representation and documentation of women’s survival status to promote a better understanding of their lives.