Directed by

Garrett, Kent, American, born 1941

Produced by

Garrett, Kent, American, born 1941

Greaves, William, American, 1926 - 2014

National Educational Television, American, 1954 - 1970

Photograph by

Lucas, Leroy, American

Owned by

Bowser, Pearl, American, 1931 - 2023

Date

1969

Medium

acetate film

Dimensions

Length (Film): 860 Feet

Duration: 24 Minutes

Caption

This 16mm film is a special half-hour-long documentary produced for the National Educational Television program Black Journal. It examines the cultural and historical life of African nation of Ethiopia.

Description

Film clip from Black Journal: 21. It consist of a single reel of 16mm color acetate film with optical sound. The film examines the cultural and historical life of Ethiopia. The entire documentary is voiced-over by a male narrator who describes Ethiopia's intersecting political, religious, and social history. The first half of the documentary is spent telling the history of Christianity in Ethiopia, and its ties to and influence on ancient Ethiopia. There are shots of the Obelisk of Aksum in Ethiopia's Tirgay; a 1,700-year-old granite stele that stands 24 meters tall and weighs 160 metric tons. The narrator then describes the historical architecture and founding of the Church of St. George in the city of Lalibela, located in the Amhara Region of Ethiopia. One of eleven monolithic churches in the city of Lalibela, the narrator explains the importance of this group of rock-hewn churches that were built in the late 12th to early 13th century and serves as a pilgrimage for some. Next, there are scenes of the festival of Timket Holiday in Adis Abeba and footage of various Ethiopian tribes singing and dancing. Ethiopians are described as an African people, diverse in tribal association while sharing common African ancestry. The narrator states that it is a common mistake to racially identify Ethiopians as Middle Eastern.

Place filmed

Aksum, Tigray, Ethiopia, Africa

Place depicted

Ethiopia, Africa

Place filmed

Addas Ababa, Ethiopia, Africa

Lalibela, Amara, Ethiopia, Africa

Collection title

Pearl Bowser Collection

Portfolio/Series

Black Journal

Classification

Media Arts-Film and Video

Type

sound films

color films (visual works)

16mm (photographic film size)

Topic

Africa

Architecture

Christianity

Documentary films

Film

Public television

Religion

Credit Line

Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift of Pearl Bowser

Object number

2012.79.1.49.1a

Restrictions & Rights

© National Educational Television

Permission required for use. Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.

GUID

http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/fd5ed51da75-430b-4f9e-a5fb-7138ac67938a