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AMBITIONS |POCKETSCREENINGS|WORKSHOPS|POCKETFESTIVAL|FILMPRODUCTION|LINKS|CONTACT |
| ‘The pocket in question is a small pocket
of resistance. A pocket is formed when two or more people come together
in agreement’ - John Berger POCKETVISIONS is an independent film unit set up by a group of anthropologists at University College London. In full creative collaboration with innovative filmmakers from a broad-range of backgrounds, we aim to produce compelling and serious documentary films that push aesthetic and intellectual boundaries. Working closely with The National Film and Television School we will facilitate creative partnerships between filmmakers and anthropologists. Confident in the need to communicate social, political and philosophical issues, we will use documentary film to reach beyond the academy walls and communicate compelling aspects of anthropological research. POCKETVISIONS believes that facilitating collaborations between filmmakers and anthropologists will produce dynamic interactions between aesthetic forms, intellectual demands and ethical challenges. Responding to grassroots interest and the recent debate into the validity of so-called Reality TV, POCKETVISIONS agrees with Bob Geldof’s suggestion that there is a demand for serious documentary filmmaking. We put quality and the integrity of each subject at the centre of every production. We believe that complex and multi-layered cultural realities do not need to be simplified or sensationalised if ways are found to transcend the alienating effects of cliché. If the tendency to use images merely to illustrate is put to one side anthropological discourse as well as film aesthetics can be rejuvenated. POCKETVISIONS will realise its aims through collaboration with skilled and enthusiastic filmmakers ready for the challenge of a real intellectual and artistic partnership. The operating ethos is one in which theorising is part of the filmmaking process. As anthropologists we are uniquely placed, on practical as well as theoretical levels, to realise films that deepen our understanding of social worlds. But we recognise that our strengths must be combined with those of others. The film unit is intended to be a centre that facilitates a dialogue and a particular way of working. Film is not merely a research or teaching tool. Instead it can be placed firmly at the centre of new ways of seeing and being involved in the world. The practice is collaborative, and as such serves as an example of dialogue in the pursuit of clarity, understanding and new creative forms.
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POCKETVISIONS is an independent film unit set up by a group of Anthropologists at University College London |