This book uses visual psychological anthropology to explore trauma,
gendered violence, and stigma through a discussion of three ethnographic
films set in Indonesia: 40 Years of Silence (Lemelson 2009), Bitter
Honey (Lemelson 2015), and Standing on the Edge of a Thorn
(Lemelson 2012). This exploration "widens the frame" in two senses.
First, it offers an integrative analysis that connects the discrete
topics and theoretical concerns of each film to crosscutting themes in
Indonesian history, society, and culture. Additionally, it sheds light
on all that falls outside the literal frame of the screen, including the
films' origins; psychocultural and interpersonal dynamics and
constraints of deep, ongoing collaborations in the field; narrative and
emotional orientations toward editing; participants' relationship to
their screened image; the life of the films after release; and the
ethics of each stage of filmmaking. In doing so, the authors widen the
frame for psychological anthropology as well, advocating for film as a
crucial point of engagement for academic audiences and for translational
purposes.
Rich with critical insights and reflections on ethnographic filmmaking,
this book will appeal to both scholars and students of visual
anthropology, psychological anthropology, and ethnographic methods. It
also serves as an engrossing companion to three contemporary
ethnographic films.