Writing Panare - Portrait of a Linguist on Fieldwork

Synopsis: Marie-Claude Muller is a linguist who has been commissioned by the Venezuelan government to prepare reading primers in Panare as part of their literacy programme. She is shown gathering a range of materials for the primers, from zoological taxonomies to myths. She is also shown working with Panare schoolteachers on an alphabet to accomodate local dialectical variations. These scenes are intercut with an interview in which she describes the principles underlying the literacy programme and considers its role in helping the Panare confront the consequences of contact with the national society. The film also features three myths told at length by a senior Panare man as well as scenes of everyday life in a number of different Panare communities.
Language: English
Country: Great Britain
Medium: Video; Videocassette. VHS. col. 30 min.
Year of production: 1996
Availability: Sale; 2001 sale: £50.00 (+VAT +p&p)
Subjects: Anthropology; Linguistics
Keywords: ethnolinguistics; languages; literacy skills; Panare; Venezuela

Name: Royal Anthropological Institute
Contact: Susanne Hammacher (Film Officer)
Email: film@therai.org.uk
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Phone: 020 7387 0455
Fax: 020 7388 8817
Address: 50 Fitzroy Street
London
W1T 5BT
Notes: The Institute sells more than 250 anthropology and ethnology titles on video and DVD, including some produced by students and staff of the Granada Centre for Visual Anthropology. There is also a large library of internationally produced film and video productions from which items may be borrowed within the UK.

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