An important aspect of my multimodal practice is the field of participatiory and collaborative media production. During my PhD, I developed the approach of Collaborative Ethnogrphic Filmmaking by producing films together with rural dwellers in souther Africa. The approach is informed by three interrelated fields: Ethnographic Film, Participatory Video (PV) and Indigenous Media. The resulting films about the local use of natural resources give a voice to marginalized actors. I have been diversifying this approach by orgnizing participtory media-workshops in various contexts.
I am familiar with all aspects of the process of filmmaking. Most of my films are completely self-made: From research and conception, to directing, camera and sound and even editing I have accomplished all phases of the production on my own. This high degree of control over the final product is an important characteristic of ethnographic film.
Selected Films:
Interview film about live in old-age and the process of aging. Commissioned for the exhibition "FaltenReich" (Rich in Wrinkles - Aging Around the World) at the Grassi Ethnographic Museum in Leipzig.
Participatory film project with local members of the BIOTA AFRICA research project about their work.
Documentation about the “General Motors Europe Employees' Cooperation II” programme and its efforts to coordinate the interests of General Motors workers accross Europe.
Conference film about the BIOTA AFRICA research project for the COP 9 UN conference on biological diversity in Bonn.
Awareness film on the urban water supply of Rundu, Namibia. Commissioned by the development service of Luxemburg Lux-Development.
Wiza Wetu! – Our Forest!
Awareness film on deforestation in Namibia. Commissioned by BIOTA project.
The Future of Visual Anthropology
Interview film with immanent representatives on the future of Visual Anthropology.
Day of Action
Documentation of an event which was part of the "European day of action for the equalisation of people with disabilities“. Commissioned by "Aktion Mensch".
Cultivating Death
Documentary film on cemetery culture and remembrance set in a cemetery in London.
sleeping rough
Ethnographic film on a group of homeless people in the city centre of Hamburg.