ChristianLallier,anthropologist

HeadofLab’AF-FilmedAnthropologyLaboratoryAssociateresearcher–iiAC-LAUM(UMR8177.CNRS/EHESS)

36thAnnualIVSAConference

VISUALIZINGTHEPOLITICALPROCESS

UniversityofParis-Saclay–UniversityofEvry.FranceJune25-28,2018

¡  Human societies have the distinctive characteristic of needing to put themselves intorepresentationinordertoexist.

¡  This is the role of technical setups, in other words : formal arrangements which create

exchangezones.

¡  Ashop,acounter,acollectiveproject…aretechnicalsetups.

¡  Each is an example of a setup that

makes social interactions betweenindividuals possible by providing theinstitutional framework for theircommitments.

AtechnicalsetupsfilmedinthegareduNordstation,inParis.ChangewithGareduNordstation,ChristianLallier'sdocumentary

¡  Inaccordancewiththisperspective,wecanwonderhowtofilmhumanactivityinashop,atacounterofatrainstationforexampleorduringtherealisationofaprojectsuchastheconstructionofabuildingoraneducationalprogramme.

¡  Inotherwords,howcanonefilmamercantiletransaction,arequestforinformation,oraco-operationornegotiationdiscussion?

TheOperastudent,ChristianLallier'sandMelodieD.Tabita’sdocumentary.

¡  As this ordinary situationof human activity is notself-evident : it engageseach “interacting parties”i n a f a c e t o f a c erelationship…

¡  This face to face relationship requires an exchange equilibrium that it is appropriate tomaintain,byknowinghowtobehaveaccording to thestatusand the roledefinedby theinteractionframework.

¡  Filminghumanactivity leads to focusingon thesocial relationeffort,or theworkof socialrelationships :asymbolicwork thatcreatesapolitical space, in thesense that individualsmobiliseandbuildformsofrepresentationsthroughwhichtheyproducesociety.

TheOperastudent,ChristianLallier'sandMelodieD.Tabita’sdocumentary.

¡  Filmedanthropologypreciselyaimstoreportthesepoliticalspacescreatedbythetechnicalsetupsinordertohelpunderstandwhatisatstakeinagivenhumanactivity.

¡  This understanding results from the creation of the narrative with regard to thecircumstancesofcommitmentthroughthefilmedobservationofsocialinteractions.

¡  Afirstexample:Outside-Inside.Theexerciseoftheclass.TheModule1ofthefilmedanthropology,TheOperaStudent.

Outside-Inside. The exercise of theclass.:Module1ofTheOperastudent,

Christian Lallier's and Melodie D.Tabita’sdocumentary.

¡  For three years, from 2012 to 2015, I directed with the video artist Melodie D.Tabita afilmedanthropologyaboutaneducationalandartisticexperience:

-AprojectledbytheLyonNationalOperaintwoschoolslocatedintheMinguettesneighbourhood,inVénissieux,inthesuburbsofLyon,called“Operainschool”.¡  Inthecaseathand,thisethnographicfieldturnedouttobeverycomplexbecauseofthe

multiplicityofsituations.¡  Truly,thisimpliedthatoneneedstoimplicatethemselvesintotheother’sinvolvement,to

giveall their attention to thevalueof investmentof theperson involved in theobservedaction.

¡  In fact, the direction and the interest of afilmed observation sequence is profoundlylinkedtowhatishappeninginthepresentedsocial situation and what is said by thepeopleinvolvedinit.

Outside-Inside.Theexerciseoftheclass:Module1 ofTheOperastudent,ChristianLallier'sandMelodieD.Tabita’sdocumentary.

¡  Asecondexampletoillustratethisapproachinfilmedanthropology:

-In2008,Irealizedfivesmalldocumentariesof12minutesonthecommitmentofthewomeninthemaliansociety.¡  ThisprogramofdocumentarymovieswasproducedbytheMuseumofBrittanyofRennes,

aregionalmuseuminFrance,foranexhibitiononthewomeninMali.

¡  One o f t h e s e f i v edocumentaries is theportrait of a malianwoman committed in ana n t i - g l o b a l i z a t i o nmovement : MadamBarryAminataTouré.

¡  Here isanextractof thisportraitduringoneof itsmeetingsinMali.The committed of the civil society,ChristianLallier'sdocumentary.