Approaching Anthropology Through a Modern Lens 'The Anthropologist' examines a familiar subject through the immediate and catastrophic prism of climate change
Written by Eugene Rosenberg
As the essential twentieth-century academic phenomenon in the humanities, Cultural Anthropology has long served as an ideal subject for many dry, “by the numbers” documentaries. Furthermore, when applying much of their focus to the long established and well referenced superstar of the field, Margaret Mead, any documentary on the discipline might likely fall perilously into the tropes of an Anthropology 101 film strip, only to be shown when Assistant professors cannot be bothered to lecture. Thankfully, The Anthropologist, which made it’s world premier at DOC NYC, nimbly avoided this trap by approaching its somewhat familiar subject matter through the immediate and catastrophic prism of climate change. By cleverly juxtaposing Mead’s groundbreaking work on how societies adapt to change with contemporary anthropologist Susie Crates’ work on the effects of natural disruption to the subject, The Anthropologist arrives as an infinitely more immediate and relevant film than were it merely a survey of the Grand Masters’ work.
That would take three men to tell the story of two women’s careers in the discipline lends an additional layer of complexity to an already highly nuanced subject. However, directors Newberger, Miller, and Kramer do a deft job of seamlessly blending archival footage of Mead with contemporary “ripped from the headlines” images of a disturbing natural reality, showing the humanity affected natural world and its consequences for societies both developed and traditional. Yet thankfully the documentary doesn’t get too bogged down in over-exclamation or over explanation, allowing the images to speak for themselves and the subjects to provide perspective in their own words without comment or jarring edits
At DOCNYC’s sold out screening Friday night, the filmmakers opined on the collaborative nature of the project. Director and writer Daniel Miller praised the teamwork and shared vision of his collaborators. “It was really exciting and rewarding to work with such a dedicated crew and passionate subjects.” Subject Susie Crates furthered her filmed perspectives, positing her work in the context of Mead’s ground- breaking earlier studies, adding “It’s of course humbling to be mentioned in the same breath as Mead, but like all fields Anthropology has moved into several new directions she might never have anticipated!” Far from a mere academic survey nor entirely as an alarmist’s dire warning, The Anthropologist sheds considerable light on the work of the field’s titan in relation to current climate trends. More critically, it offers new perspective on the application of that work as we approach a critical juncture in the course of human civilization.
Eugene Rosenberg is a writer and blogger for DOC NYC.
