International Showcase of Visual/ Virtual Ethnographies: An Online Workshop of Short Ethnographic Films from West Kalimantan, Sarawak and Taiwan
PUBLISHED OCTOBER 8, 2021
International Showcase of Visual/ Virtual Ethnographies: An Online Workshop of Short Ethnographic Films from West Kalimantan, Sarawak and Taiwan


OVERVIEW

Conceived by the end of the year 2020, the idea of organizing this international ethnographic film workshop was initiated by the Center of Austronesian Culture, NTTU. AT that time, as we were waiting for the subsiding of corona virus epidemic and the ensuing lockdown of international travel, the program was for the organizing of an online workshop which provides a platform for the production, screening, presentation and discussion of short ethnographic films produced collaboratively by undergraduate and graduate students from West Kalimantan, Indonesia, Sarawak, Malaysia and Taiwan.


INSTRUCTOR

The main instructor of the workshop is Dr. Futuru C. L. Tsai, who is an Associate Professor at the Department of Public and Cultural Affairs and Institute of Austronesian Studies, NTTU. He is also an Independent Director and Producer of Ethnographic Film, and serves as the Director, Taiwan International Ethnographic Film Festival (2011~2019).


COURSES

The workshop was launched, firstly, with the online courses offered by Dr. Futuru Tsai on the subjects that included: Introduction to ethnographic film; Introduction to the production process of a documentary; How to select the subject of a documentary, storyline, preparing a proposal for making a documentary; Auteur theory and aesthetics; Introduction to filming/sound recording/ lighting equipment and skills; How to film an interview for a documentary; Scenery shot; Post-production (e.g. editing, sound mixing etc.).


DATE AND TIMELINE

From January to February, 2021, we announced the news about the workshop and recruited participants. Online courses were offered followed by the production of films from February to July, 2021. And now, we are at the phase of screening of the seven films thus produced. We are happy to have the partnership of Taiwan-Asia Exchange Foundation (TAEF).

SUBJECTS OF ETHNOGRAPHIES FILMS PRODUCED

The seven film thus produced include a diversified subject:


1. Title: Kin Beyond Borders: The Malays of Southern Borneo

Producers:

  • Awi Febril / Department of Architecture, UNTAN
  • Bayu Indrabuana / Department of Architecture, UNTAN
  • Mohammad Ramzuan Bin Bolhassan / Anthropology and Sociology Program, UNIMAS
  • Mohd Danial Fiqri Bin Mohamed Somerdi / Anthropology and Sociology Program, UNIMAS


2. Title: Mind, Body, Soul & Borneo

Producers:

  • Mohd Harith Bin Heykal / Anthropology and Sociology Program, UNIMAS
  • Nurul Nadzatul Farah Binti Mohd Khairi / Anthropology and Sociology Program, UNIMAS
  • Chalista / Department of Social Anthropology, UNTAN


3. Title: HAKKA

Producers:

  • Muhammad Faiz Bin Arshad / Anthropology and Sociology Program, UNIMAS
  • Addrianus Josef LoisChoFerry / Department of Social Anthropology, UNTAN
  • LAI, Yun Jhu / Department of Hakka Language and Social Sciences, NCU


4. Title: Three teachings 三教

Tri Dharma

Producers:

  • GUO,Ze-Xian / Department of Applied Science, NTTU
  • Amelia Putri Sukmawan / Department of Architecture, UNTAN
  • Cinthia Junita Milenia / Department of Architecture, UNTAN


5. Title: Traditional Food in West Kalimantan and Taiwan

Producers:

  • WANG, Hung / Department of Sociology, NTTU
  • Hendra Ramdani / Department of International Relations, UNTAN


6. Title: Identity

Producers:

  • Aditya Fadhilah Siddiq / Department of English Education, UNTAN
  • SHEN, Chieh Hsiu / Department of Law, NUK
  • WANG, Yu / Occupational Therapist in Department of Psychiatry, NTUH


7. Title: Believers

Producers:

  • Galih BagaskaraMeidycharlos / Department of Architecture, UNTAN
  • Amos Ondion Situmeang / Department of Architecture, UNTAN
  • LIN, Miao Shan / Department of English, NTTU

The films are all 15 minutes long each. Most of the films are produced by the online filmmaking teams that include participants from Indonesia, Malaysia and Taiwan. In the end, the filmmaking group consists of 10 students from UNTAN (Universitas Tanjungpura) Indonesia, 5 from UNIMAS (Universiti Malaysia Sarawak), Malaysia and 6 from Taiwan. Each filmmaker is provided with 100 US$ financial aid by the National Taitung University, Taiwan.


ACKNOWLEGEMENT

We would like to extend our appreciation to the hard working staffs of Center of Austronesian Culture, National Taitung University, the Center of Southeast Asian Ethnicities, Cultures and Societies (A joint project between Taiwan and Indonesia, MOST), International Affairs Office, Universitas of Tanjungpura, and Anthropology and Sociology Program, University of Malaysia Sarawak. Dr. Zairin Zain and Dr. Elena Gregoria Chai Chin Fern both offer valuable contribution to the program. In particular, we thank Ms. Jean C.Y. Cheng (NTTU) Mr. Mifta Rahman, Mr. Adityo D. Sudagung and Mr. Andi Zhang (UNTAN) for their dedication.