Democratizing Documentary and Interactive Social Media Practices

Abstract

Bamba, The Taste of Knowledge (2018) is a 22-minute documentary that follows theater troupe Sant Yàlla as it embarks on a tour throughout Senegal. The film explores how these artists visualize and disseminate Sufi stories through music, dance, and public art. This chapter focuses on the collaborative documentary practices used to produce and distribute Bamba, and the ethical implications of interactive social media for cross-cultural research. Documentary is examined as a series of social relationships that have the potential to promote civic participation and enhance research. Utilizing digital ethnography – which considers the online and offline aspects of ethnographic research – the chapter argues that collaborative documentary projects mediate the sites in which art and knowledge are produced and contested. Co-creation, therefore, raises important questions about how filmmakers and researchers negotiate access and editorial control with community groups and use media to document, preserve, and strengthen local cultures.