Anthropologist Napoleon Chagnon with a Yanomami Indian.
De-virginized territory
By John Esther
Brazilian filmmaker José Padilha, who co-directed the award-winning documentary, Bus 174, digs deep into the walls of latter-day anthropological study with Secrets of the Tribe by taking a look at how a team of perhaps too many Occidental anthropologists conducted research on the Yanomami Indians of the 1960s and 1970s.
Viewed as a “virgin” society, the Yanomami Indians lived in seclusion for centuries before becoming the most filmed and studied tribe on the planet.
Moreover, as subjects, the Yanomami Indians were often subjected to humiliating acts of pedophilia and exploitation. One of the most notable cases is lodged against French anthropologist Jacques Lizot (a disciple of the late world-renowned anthropologist Claude Lévi-Strauss), who is accused of all sorts of molestations and rapes by the Indians and others interviewed for the film.
To the film’s delightful credit, Padilha meets with a vast array of experts to discuss the ethnographical ramifications of the anthropological study. Napoleon Chagnon, whose seemingly patriarchal book, Yanomamo: The Fierce People, is the best-selling anthropological text of all time, gave weapons of destruction (e.g., machetes) in exchange for cooperation while Kenneth Good was viciously criticized by many — including his archenemy, Chagnon — for marrying an underage girl (by Occidental standards) in order to, laughably, further his career.
In between the academic bickering, Padilha speaks to the Yanomami Indians, whose accounts offer some serious testimony against many of their former “guests.”
While there is plenty to be appalled about here, Secrets of the Tribe is actually quite funny, insightful and entertaining. The egos, the inconsistencies and the battle of the minds keep the narrative of this International Showcase selection moving forward at superb speed, raising questions about motive, opportunity and objectivity along the way.
Recommended.
(Secrets of the Tribe screens June 25, 9:45 p.m., Regal Cinemas; June 27, 3:45 p.m., Regal Cinemas.)
