Social anthropology and its importance for young filmmakers

Abstract

This article explores the relevance of social anthropology for young filmmakers, highlighting the fundamental role of participant observation, ethnography, and fieldwork in the accurate and authentic representation of diverse cultures in film. Drawing on the approaches of Bronislaw Malinowski, it analyzes how these methods enable a deeper understanding of societies and their application in the filmmaking process. Furthermore, key concepts of social anthropology are described for those new to the subject, providing a solid theoretical foundation for describing appropriate tools and achieving an understanding of the communities studied. To illustrate these ideas, two films are compared: Jacques Audiard's Emilia Pérez and Luis Buñuel's Los olvidados, evidencing different levels of ethnographic immersion. The comparison demonstrates how the anthropological approach influences the perception and reception of a film, affecting its authenticity and cultural resonance.