Cinematic Ethnography proposes an interdisciplinary approach to filmmaking at the intersection of art, anthropology and cinema. Rejecting the straightforward representational modes typical of visual anthropology and film studies, the book advances a model grounded in collective aesthetics and collaborative production. It examines filmmakers who use sensory and participatory methods to convey diverse forms of knowledge, arguing that allowing cinema itself to shape audiovisual expressions of reality deepens viewers’ engagement with what is being evoked. Structured as a dialogic journey, the book invites readers to pause and interact with the author’s accompanying films, which illustrate the theories and practices discussed. Written by a practising filmmaker and visual anthropologist, it reimagines cinematic practice not as factual documentation but as a collaborative tool for fostering intercultural dialogue and shared understanding.
Price: £25.00
Pages: 280
Publisher: Manchester University Press
Imprint: Manchester University Press
Series: Anthropology, Creative Practice and Ethnography
Publication Date:
23 June 2026
ISBN: 9781526198297
Format: Paperback
BISACs:
SOCIAL SCIENCE / Anthropology / Cultural & Social, Social and cultural anthropology, PERFORMING ARTS / Film / Genres / Documentary, SOCIAL SCIENCE / Indigenous Studies, Documentary films, Social research and statistics
Laurent Van Lancker is Professor in Audiovisual Anthropology at the Aix-Marseille University.
Preface: The journey starts
Menu
Introduction: Apéritif: Experiencing cultures
1 Roots and routes
2 Ingredients: Synaesthesia; Sound; Image
3 Recipes for Sensing cultures: Asynchronicity; Decontextualisation; Cinematic imagination
4 Recipes for Sharing cinema: Reciprocity, Collaboration, Co-aesthetics
Conclusion: Café: Digestive reflections
Bibliography
Filmography
Index