Density, plasticity, riflexivity. Three virtues of the visual research for the ethnographies of the techniques

Abstract

Anthropologists who find a sudden interest in film too often seem to consider this media as a simple alternative to writing. They usually consider film as a different way of promoting their research results or escape, for a short while, from the strict requirements of institutional research. Researchers used to working with a camera will find this sole motivation disappointing, being fully aware it offers a much wider scope of possibilities than mere escapades in the realms of scientific popularization or documentary films. Based on investigation with Moroccan craftsmen, this paper will explore three of the inherent virtues of filming, namely density, plasticity and reflexivity. Among other things, emphasis will be put on the possibility film offers anthropologists to “watch themselves watching”, thereby reconsidering a lot of what they previously took for granted and advancing towards a renewed and improved understanding of their ever elusive fieldwork locations.