The Interdisciplinary Interplay Between “the Scientific” and “the Aesthetic” in Mantas Kvedaravičius’s Barzakh

Abstract

The paper delves into the persistent tension between “the scientific” and “the aesthetic” dimensions within ethnographic filmmaking, particularly through the lens of observational cinema. Historically, ethnographic films, often produced by anthropologists, have faced scepticism within the discipline, perceived as a threat to ethnographic authority. However, the paradigmatic shift in ethnography – from a mere collection of data to a nuanced dialogue and exchange – and the emergence of observational cinema have challenged the traditional perception of ethnographic film. Hence, this paper centres its analysis on Barzakh (2011), a groundbreaking nonfiction film by Mantas Kvedaravičius, a notable Lithuanian anthropologist-turned-filmmaker who was tragically killed in Mariupol, Ukraine, in April 2022. Through the exploration of Barzakh, made while Kvedaravičius conducted ethnographic fieldwork in Chechnya between 2006 and 2009, the paper aims to contribute to the broader conversation on the dynamic relationship between “the scientific” and “the aesthetic” in ethnographic films, emphasizing the continued fluidity and evolution of this cinematic genre.