| Reassemblage | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | Trinh T. Minh-ha |
| Produced by | Co-produced by Jean-Paul Bourdier and Trinh T. Minh-ha |
Release date |
|
Running time | 40 minutes |
| Countries | Senegal United States |
| Language | English |
Reassemblage is a 1982 film by Trinh T. Minh-ha, shot in Senegal picturing the dwellings and everyday life of the Sereer people. [1]
The first film by the Vietnamese born filmmaker, writer, literary theorist, composer, and professor, Reassemblage focuses especially on the lives of the village women. [2] Shot on 16mm film and released in 1982, the film challenges ethnographic documentary conventions (eg. National Geographic [3] ) and explores experimental ways of representing native culture. [4] [5] Minh-ha explains that she intends "not to speak about/Just speak nearby," unlike more conventional ethnographic documentary film. The film is a montage of fleeting images, sounds, and music from Senegal and includes no narration, although there are occasional statements by Trinh T. Minh-ha. None of the statements given by her assign meaning to the scenes, refusing to make the film "about" a "culture". It points to the viewers expectation and the need for the assignment of meaning.
Reassemblage does not follow a conventional plot, but rather presents sounds and visuals through non-linear montage. The film consists of a various shots capturing different landscapes, activities, animals, conversations, and people. The accompanying sounds include indigenous music, diegetic sounds and conversations, and a voiceover from Minh-ha. The voiceover does not provide narration or explanation of the scenes, but rather critical reflections on the filmmaking process and ethnographic documentary.