Ethnographic Analysis Of The Film Oil And Water

Oil and Water, a documentary film that concentrates on the tense relationship between the people of Ecuador and oil field companies, provides an important view of the difficulties of the Cofán people. While the film does focus on a particular culture, does this make the film ethnographic? The fact that the film has an intention of spreading environmental awareness about Ecuadorian communities rather than being a study on a culture in Ecuador suggests it is not. However, that does not mean that there are not ethnographic attributes. This film analyses will select and identify the following attributes that are present in Oil and Water: appropriateness of sound, narration, point of view, physical contextualization, whole people, the ethnographer’s presence, and culture change that is made explicit.
The first attribute that is present in the film is the appropriateness of sound. The film uses natural, synchronous sound throughout the film. This can be expected due to the fact that it is a
The Cofán are shown being relocated by greedy companies that were following the lines of oil that ran throughout the region. In addition to this, the oil companies took areas that were previously used for hunting and fishing. Land that was important to the Cofán way of life was taken away and that influenced their culture. Footage of the Cofán using outboard boats shows that western technology had made it’s way to the Cofán population and was utilized. However, another point of the film is to show how the Cofán were taking action against the rising threat to their way of life. The fact that one of the advocates for the Cofán people is a member of the culture itself proves that they are not lying down and accepting the injustices done against them. Oil and Water provides the unique viewpoint of a culture that is fighting to retain their