Diary for 3rd December to 9th December 2009

THURSDAY 3rd December- London Film Festivals

Today marks the last day of two London film festivals: the African Film Festival and the German Film Festival. To mark the finale of African films in a digital age, two final screenings, are being shown in Cine Lumiere and Richmix Cinema at 6:30pm . The Lost , is a drama which takes place in Morocco, about a gifted lute player who after being kidnapped, becomes sold as a slave to a wealthy musician. For the best and for the onion, is a documentary about the Galmi purple, an onion from Niger which pervades West African markets. For more information on the festival and ticket prices take a look here. The 12th annual festival of German films is taking place at the Curzon in Soho. The films today touch upon subjects such as home and identity, the complexities of love, and historical civil rights uprisings. Take a look at the festival programme for further details. Tickets vary in prices (the cheapest being the matinee screenings).


FRIDAY 4th December- Transvangarde: Leading Contemporary Artists

Today I am heading to the October Gallery to see an exhibition of work from selected artists around the world which aims to celebrate trans cultural avant-garde art. In the front gallery is a major new metal sculpture by artists El Anatsui, entitled 'In the World, But Don't Know the World?' Mr. Anatsui has produced the wall sculpture from tens of thousands of liquor bottle-tops to create a piece which strives to show the interconnection between free flowing thought and the creating of meaning and humanity's universal strive for progress. Transvangarde also includes work from prominent artists such as Rachid Koraichi, Xuang Xu, Kenji Yoshida and more. Click here for further information.



SATURDAY 5th December - Fabulous Fibres

Running until the 9th of January at the Haslemere Museum in Surrey is an ethnobotanical exhibition celebrating material objects from around the world made from 26 plant species. The exhibition is run in partnership with the Economic Botany Collection at Kew Gardens, and marks the recognition of 2009 as being the International Year of Natural Fibres and the 250th anniversary of Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. 'Many of the objects in the exhibition date back to the 19th century and document indigenous cultures that are threatened or have disappeared'. Admission is free.




SUNDAY 6th December- Horse People

Today I am going to reserve a place for the British Museum's Centre of Anthropology's Reviewer meets Reviewed Seminar Series taking place at 10am on Thursday December 10th. In collaboration with the RAI, this seminar brings together anthropologist Dr. Rebecca Cassidy author of Horse People: Thoroughbred Culture in Lexington and Newmarket, and Dr. Margaret Tayler who reviewed the ethnography for the Journal of the Royal Anthropological Institute. Admission is free but spaces are limited. To reserve your space, email SMarianski@thebritishmuseum.ac.uk



MONDAY 7th December- Suomen Anthropologi

For all of you aspiring writers of anthropological thought, the Journal of the Finnish Anthropological Society is a quarterly peer-reviewed journal which invites interested authors from anthropology and social science disciplines. The journal aims to 'offer an interface between scholarship in 'small countries' and mainstream English-language academia, with special attention being given to the work of non-native English speakers'. For more information on the journal and how to submit work take a look here.



TUESDAY 8th December - Christmas Festive Fair

Tonight at the Museum of London starting at 5:30pm is a free Christmas Festive Fair. There will be live music by the Zigurat Steel Band and the She'Koyokh Kelzma band, along with free workshops where participants will be able to make funky badges, gift bags, and origami gift tags. There will also be local artist stalls with textiles, glass works and ceramics. For more information visit the museum's website.



WEDNESDAY 9th December- El Western Patagonico

Today I am heading to Birkbeck Cinema at 12:00pm to watch a film directed by anthropologist Dr. Gaston Correno, entitled: El Western Patagonico: la imagen del indigena norteamericano en la imagen selknam' . The film analyses how Native North Americans, were depicted in genre of 'American Westerns' and the way in which similar ideas, and cinematographic elements have been Incorporated into the way contemporary fiction films portray indigenous peoples from South America. Admission is free, everyone welcome.