Reflections
Having studied gender anthropologically at the University of Kent and Vrije Universitiet it was a very different experience exploring some of the issues visually, that I had previously done in writing.
Revealing subjects faces as well as their words and their actions has added a different dynamic to my ethnographic work. Personally I have felt an increase in the indebtedness I feel to my subject, Sofi.
Sofi was also acutely aware of the significance of being on camera. In moments of worry she would share that it was another layer of vulnerability.
Initially I had intended to cover two subjects rather than just one, and it was mainly due to time constraints that I did not. Unexpectedly however, I now feel that this eventuality has greatly benefitted my film as it has become a more focused, detailed portrait of one person. In this way I feel that it is more effective in conveying Sofi's experience.
As is typical in making any type of ethnography, I was still confronted with the issue of having so much material that I felt I couldn't add without compromising the quality and effectiveness of the
film.
Some of that omitted material is shown below. Of particular interest to viewers might be the footage of Sofi skate boarding. Although this was a very large part of our time spent together on this project, I struggled to find a place for it in the film and so only a small portion is included. Skate boarding has been a relatively new undertaking for Sofi, and excitingly, the footage I took of her in the skate park were of her first and her second time skating in a real park. Captured in this omitted footagewas her nervousness followed by courage and perseverance, which although I felt reflected the demands of her experience, I also saw as being at odds with the pace of the other material. Consequently, I chose not to include many of them in order to preserve the thoughtful feel of the film. I hope to have displayed other elements of Sofi's personality, such as her concern for the environment, while maintaining a nod to the importance of her skateboarding with the second scene which features her holding one of her boards while standing on a bridge.
The film is narrated by Sofi, something I asked of her from the beginning as I have always wanted to avoid interviewing her on camera. Her narration came from a reading (with expansion) of my summaries of our recorded conversations. I felt this was an effective way in be able to gather more concise narration without compromising on a genuine feel. In the final take, Sofi spoke what was
was, in essence, an improvised monologue, taking inspiration from my summaries. I then divided this monologue, to create the sections of narration which feature in the film.
Sofi narrating was also in part, a strategy to avoid my appearance in the film, something which was eventually unavoidable. The film, in a way, demanded my presence, and I am visible, although never physically on screen, but rather through the small shakes that appear in the hand held footage, in Sofi's glances at me while she's speaking and most transparently in my voice. I am neither the considerably active filmmaker like Jean Rouch nor the silent observer like David MacDougal. My presence lies somewhere in between.